Why Spain have been the best team at EURO2024

When Spain beat Croatia 3-0 in Berlin a little over two weeks ago, it wasn’t just a big victory. It wasn’t Spain winning as Spain do, nor was it in any way typical of them. When they won that game of football, they won it in a way which they hadn’t for a long time – not since 2008.

What they did that was so unusual was win with less of the ball. They hadn’t won a single game with less than 50% possession in 16 years. The last time that happened was in the final of EURO2008, when they won 1-0 against Germany.

Then Vicente del Bosque came in and everything changed. He’d leave eventually, but Spain’s style of football stuck around. You’ll know it like the back of your hand by now; they would dominate the ball, work it forward progressively and eventually find that clinical forward who could put the ball in the back of the net. Back then, it was Fernando Torres and David Villa. For the last eight years or so, it’s been Álvaro Morata. That’s just how Spain played, in every minute of every match. For 136 games.

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But that all changed when they beat Croatia. In that game, they scored three in the first half and didn’t need to keep the ball – so they didn’t. Luka Modrić, Marcelo Brozović, Mateo Kovačić and co finished that game on 53% possession. Hardly domination, but it’s worth reiterating that no opponent of the Spanish national team had achieved that feat for 16 long years.

Spain won anyway, as was the case in that game in 2008. This meant something really quite incredible. It was no slight on La Roja that they didn’t keep most of the ball; they dominated the game and they deserved wholeheartedly to win. Rather, what it showed was the unlocking of a new strength they’ve not had for an awfully long time: adaptability.

They may have won the World Cup in 2010 and the EUROs in 2012 by playing that possession-based style, but they didn’t win any of the five competitions that followed. The style persisted, sometimes at the expense of substance.

Now, though, they’re a different beast. They don’t always rely on having all the ball all the time and they’re better because of it.

That said, that is how they’ve played since. They ran rings around Italy, their B team comfortably dispatched Albania and they made mincemeat of a plucky Georgia. They won all those games with almost all of the ball. But there were caveats.

Arguably their standout players so far have not been the archetypal Spanish midfielder who completes a hundred passes. Fabián Ruiz has been that guy for them this time round, and he has been excellent. But their best players have been a type of player Spain have lacked for so long: dynamic and pacey wingers.

Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal, with a combined age below that of teammate Jesús Navas, have stolen the show through trickery, pace and above all a desire to take their man on.

When they won EURO2012, their attacking lineup consisted of three midfielders. Cesc Fàbregas was deployed up front, with Andrés Iniesta and David Silva the wingers. It worked then because they were phenomenal players who knew exactly how to make a possession-based system work.

But that’s not how it’s worked since. Many have tried to imitate that, and many have failed. Now, Spain have two players who can run at a man, take him on and create chances. Both complete 3 dribbles per game, ranking them sixth and seventh in the tournament respectively. What’s remarkable is that they both do it in areas of the pitch where the next action is one which can create an opening – Yamal has created the most big chances at the tournament, for example.

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With that dynamism added to a squad which has been indoctrinated into keeping the ball and making the right decisions, Spain are a frightening outfit going forward.

Things have been pretty good at the back, too. Marc Cucurella is making three tackles per game which is remarkable for a left-back in a team which has most of the ball. Spain as a whole have conceded the fewest goals at the tournament, allowing only one to breach their backline (an unavoidable own goal at that).

So, add all of that together and you’re looking at a remarkably functional team. But what makes them stand out so much is the fact that they get results and play attractive football. Even in that game against Croatia when they kept less possession, they’d already scored three wonderful goals. They dominated Italy, dominated Albania and well-and-truly dominated Georgia.

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The other top sides at the tournament are getting results, but they’re doing it in a manner that seems disjointed. France and England, the two pre-tournament favourites, have scraped to the quarterfinals. Only Germany and Switzerland have made it this far by playing consistently attractive and effective football.

With all that in mind, there’s no reason to suspect Spain can’t go all the way. Luis de la Fuente’s Spain are not Vicente del Bosque’s Spain – but that’s actually a good thing, because it means they can play in different ways against different opponents and still be the better team.

Their quarterfinal clash against Germany – a replay of that final 16 years ago – will be by far their toughest test so far. But there is a better team going into that game, and it’s not the hosts.

You can keep up with the business end of EURO2024 right here at FromTheSpot.