This year, there has been no such familiarity – none of the 10 starting outfielders against England play for the same club – but there has been adaptability and considerable resilience. Spain came from behind against Georgia and France, and had to regain leads against Germany and England. Against Germany, they won it in the 119th minute. Against England, in the 86th. Such victories require skill but also cojones, as they say.
What hope for the rest of us? Well, looking ahead to 2026, there are a few obvious positions in which Spain will need to refresh. Their right-back, Dani Carvajal, is 32. His deputy in Germany was Jesus Navas, who is 38. Up front, Alvaro Morata is now 31. Fabian Ruiz and Rodri, their two central midfielders, will both be 30 at the next World Cup.
From the perspective of every other footballing nation, that is probably where the good news ends. Yamal will still be a teenager in 2026, Williams will be 24 and Dani Olmo will be 28. Pedri and Gavi are rising forces, as is the excellent Martin Zubimendi, who was superb as a half-time substitute against England.
Not for the first time in the past few decades, it feels like Spain are at the forefront of football’s evolution on the international stage. Their Barcelona-inspired tiki-taka dominance in 2010 and 2012, at the time, looked like football from the future. Now they have blended some of that supreme technical skill with a greater sense of urgency, speed and adventure. This summer, no one came close to them in terms of consistency and style.
It is far too early to say that this Spain team is better than the previous trophy-winning edition. After all, it would require them to win the next two tournaments to even match the achievements of the golden generation. But the new Spain are doing things in their own way, at their own pace, and this summer they achieved a cohesiveness that no other side could match. They will not be easily stopped.