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FIFA World Cup 2022 Preview: Is this Enrique’s Spain’s return to form?

The FIFA soccer World Cup is one of the most culturally significant and important sporting events on the face of the planet. Every four years, teams from all over the world do battle to find out who will come out on top in this most prestigious of tournaments. This year, the World Cup will be held in Qatar, making the 2022 iteration of the tournament the first time FIFA have held the World Cup in the Middle East. The World Cup will also be held in winter for the first time, another historic first for an already historic event.

Ranked 7th in the FIFA rankings, Spain are considered as one of the favorites for the title, with their team returning to form in the last couple of years after somewhat of a fall-off from the heights of the 2008-2012 sides. But how far can they go in the FIFA World Cup 2022?

Spain National Soccer Team

Spain has been one of the key soccer nations throughout the history of football, but especially in the last two decades. Their most famous clubs, Real Madrid and Barcelona, are widely considered to be the most historic and attractive clubs for players from all over the world, and have had periods of complete domination in the European Champions League over the years.
History

The history of Spain’s national soccer team has been one of two halves. For the majority of the early years of Spain’s soccer story, they were a side famed for underachievement, talented squads failing to reach semi-finals and finals of major tournaments on a consistent basis. This has changed remarkably in recent years, though.

Greatest achievements

Without a doubt, the greatest achievements of the Spain national soccer team have to be the wondrous run from 2008-2012 where Spain won three major tournaments in a row, two European Championships and one World Cup in 2012. This team was filled with soccer legends, and Andres Iniesta’s winning goal after 116 minutes is one of the most iconic moments of soccer history.

The 2012 European Championships win was another level entirely, with Spain winning 4-0 over a strong Italy side, showing their complete domination on the world stage at the time. After this, Spain’s tournament form nosedived, and they have been looking for that spark again ever since.

Notable players

The greatest players in Spain’s history are widely considered to be the ones that formed part of those legendary squads that won those major titles. Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy brought through the likes of the midfield trio of Xavi, Iniesta, and Sergio Busquets, and the centre-back pairing of Carles Puyol and Gerard Piqué, cornerstones of the most successful Spain and Barcelona sides of all time.

Real Madrid also contributed greatly to the success of those squads, with commanding center-back Sergio Ramos, midfield maestro Xabi Alonso, and goalkeeping legend Iker Casillas being key figures in their tournament runs. Spain have had some legendary players in the past as well, like Real Madrid icon Raúl, but this period produced the most notable players in Spain’s soccer history.

Jersey

Spain’s World Cup 2022 jersey is a homage to the traditional shirts they wore during those famed tournament runs, with the classic deep red mixed with three blue lines on the shoulders as a nod to their short sponsor Adidas. Their look is a simple and classy take on the classic style, and the contrast of colours makes for a truly iconic look.

Trivia

Did you know that in 2014, Spain followed a long list of teams that were knocked out in the group stage of the World Cup after entering the tournament as defending champions? After Spain’s historic 2010 triumph, followed by their European Championships win in 2012, Spain’s national soccer team finished third in Group B after losing against Chile and Netherlands, and they crashed out of the World Cup at the first hurdle, continuing the dreaded ‘World Cup winners curse’.

Squad

Spain’s current national soccer squad is filled with a mix of talented young players and some wily veterans who know that this is their last chance to achieve glory with their national team. The likes of right-back Dani Carvajal, veteran striker Alvaro Morata, and Atlético Madrid’s legendary midfielder Koke will be deep in their thirties by the time the next World Cup comes around, and they are sure to see this year’s tournament in Qatar as their chance to finally claim the trophy that has so far eluded them in their careers.

As for the young talents, Barcelona wonderkids Pedri, Gavi, and Ansu Fati are all huge hopes for Spain’s fans to make an impact in this World Cup, although Fati’s fitness has been called into question in recent weeks. The talent there is undeniable, but the question of whether manager Luis Enrique will trust the youth to start the bigger games in the tournament remains to be seen.

FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: Preview

The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar promises to be one of the most exciting in recent memory, with a number of teams competing to be the best in the world. Spain are quietly confident of a deep run this time, having been knocked out by hosts Russia in the 2018 edition of the competition. Spain are in great form in the last year or two, and other teams have watched with trepidation as they climbed up the rankings to a current level of 7th.

Qualifiers

Spain qualified for the 2022 World Cup with relative ease, finishing first in Group B, four points above second-placed Sweden and only losing one game out of their eight. Spain finished with 15 goals scored to only five conceded, giving them one of the meanest defenses in the qualifying stages.

With the rest of their group consisting of Greece, Kosovo, and Georgia, Spain can’t get their hopes up too much based on solely their qualifying performances, but they did look like the Spain of old at times.

Match 1: vs. Costa Rica

Spain kick off their World Cup campaign on the 23rd of November with a match against 31st-ranked Costa Rica in Group E. Costa Rica has shown growth in recent years, and their qualification for the World Cup was sealed far more easily than in other years that they have qualified. Star goalkeeper Keylor Navas has been excellent for Costa Rica, and he will be a tough goalkeeper to score against.

However, Spain’s attack should prove far too sharp for a leaky Costa Rica defense, and their probable domination of possession should blunt the Costa Rica attack. No game is easy, but Spain not winning this game would be a shock.

Match 2: vs. Germany

The biggest match in Group E, Spain’s second opponents Germany are always dangerous in national tournaments, even if they haven’t been in excellent form for a few years. Since Germany’s World Cup triumph in 2014, they haven’t hit the same heights and the quality of their squad has deteriorated, but never count Germany out, and their FIFA ranking of 11th can only serve to motivate them.

The clash on the 27th of November will be a stern test of Spain’s World Cup credentials, and the match might be decided based on whether Spain’s defense can deal with the German attacking threat of Thomas Müller, Kai Havertz, and Marco Reus, who are still dangerous on any given day. Spain are still rightly considered favorites, but this is a tricky tie to be sure.

Match 3: vs. Japan

Spain’s final match in Group E is the 1st of December battle against a defensively organised Japan side who are ranked 24th in the world by FIFA. Japan haven’t looked this sharp for a few years, and the twin talents of Real Sociedad winger Takefusa Kubo and Monaco star Takumi Minamino are sure to be a threat to the Spanish defense.

While Japan’s defense are looking stronger than ever, Spain’s speed on the counter and technical brilliance should be too much for Japan, even allowing for the attacking talent. Again, no easy games in the World Cup, but Spain are rightly considered favorites for this matchup.

Possible knockout stage

If Spain manage to win their group, they would probably come up against an ageing Croatia side seeking to replicate their World Cup 2018 run to the final. Spain would be considered favorites for this match, but after Croatia’s heroic run last time around, along with Luka Modrić’s continuing genius, this is no certain result.

If Spain make it past Croatia, they would probably come up against a top-ranked Brazil side in the quarter-finals that is bursting with talent and brilliance all over the pitch. Spain would be underdogs for this matchup, but Spain have proven winners in their squad that could cause an upset.

If they manage to negotiate a strong Brazil side, Spain could face one of a Lionel Messi-led Argentina side or a rejuvenated Netherlands side that is also seeking a return to former glories. In the final, Spain could face any number of strong teams, and while reaching that far is unlikely, Spain’s hardcore fans will be quietly optimistic of returning to the top of the game.