Spain
Pedigree Spain’s fall from grace was swift and brutal. The country produced certainly the most successful — and arguably the greatest — national team of all time between 2008 and 2012, winning three consecutive major tournaments, including its maiden World Cup in 2010. Since then, it has been a bitter disappointment, losing in the group stage in 2014 and in the last 16 in 2018.
The Story Luis Enrique, the coach, has taken it upon himself to snap Spain out of its nostalgic reverie. Of that great generation, only Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba remain. The squad is distinctly youthful, and the team is likely to be built around Pedri and Gavi, Barcelona’s teen sensations young enough to be Busquets’s children.
Key Question The freshness of Spain’s squad will make it a fascinating proposition, but much will depend on Enrique’s risk tolerance. Will he throw caution to the wind and unleash Ansu Fati, Nico Williams and Yeremy Pino? Or will the better known qualities of Álvaro Morata prove more appealing?
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