Spain is very close to confirming their qualification for World Cup 2026: they have won all four matches in World Cup qualifiers (they thrashed Bulgaria 4-0 last night). That victory means Spain has spent 29 official matches without losing: the last time they lost was against Scotland on March 28, 2023.
Then, a 2-1 victory against Italy in June 15, 2023 started an spectacular run of 5 draws and 24 victories, in which Spain conquered Nations League 2023 and UEFA Euro 2024, positioning 'La Roja' as one of the powerhouses for next World Cup in the summer of 2026.
In fact, this Spain, coached by Luis de la Fuente, has surpassed the previous record of 28 official matches without losing by Vicente del Bosque between 2010-2013, when the team won World Cup 2010 and UEFA Euro 2012.
Spain only lost the streak in the FIFA Confederations Cup final against Brazil on June 30, 2013 by a heavy 3-0 defeat that was followed by years of disappointments in World Cup 2014 and 2018. The current return to form started with Luis Enrique in UEFA Euro 2020 (held in 2021), where they only lost on penalties against Italy in the semi-final.
What about Nations League 2025?
Spain may have won every match since June 2023... but that's not technically true, as Spain lost to Portugal in the Nations League 2025 final last June. But the match ended in penalties, which counts as a draw for the statistic. In turn, the Nations League 2023 final against Croatia was also won by penalties, but counts as a draw, too.
Do you think Spain is favourite for World Cup 2026?