Spain has been one of the best football nations since the foundation of the biggest competitions, but they were at the very top of the world in the period between 2008 and 2012.

Luis Aragonés led the team to the title at the 2008 EURO, and Vicente del Bosque kept the dominance, getting the team to the throne at the 2010 World Cup and 2012 EURO.

Spain had an excellent midfield back then, with Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, and Xabi Alonso dominating the possession of the ball and constantly creating scoring opportunities.

A Decade of Struggle

Following the 2012 crown, Spain was still near the top of the national football teams ranking, but none of the five coaches managed to take them to win a trophy.

They were eliminated in the group stage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and lost in the Round of 16 against Italy after a penalty shootout at the 2016 EURO under Del Bosque.

Following his retirement, Julen Lopetegui jumped in the hot seat. He led the team to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, but just when the team arrived in Russia for the tournament, it was announced that Lopetegui had signed with Real Madrid, and he immediately stepped down.

Fernando Hierro took over as an interim coach and could not take the team past the host nation as Russia won the penalty shootout in the Round of 16.

Luis Enrique was the next one to take over the role. Robert Moreno had a short stint at the position when Enrique had personal problems, but he was back soon. Enrique selected no Real Madrid player for the 2020 EURO and almost took the team to the finals as they fell short in the semis against Italy, again in the penalty shootout.

They had the same destiny at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, losing to Morocco in the Round of 16 roulette. Following that loss, Enrique stepped down, and the glory days were soon to return.

De La Fuente's Rise

Following Enrique's departure, it was obvious that Spain needed a change not just in coaching but also in the team's energy and tactics. Going against all the 100% accurate football predictions, the Spanish football federation appointed Luis de la Fuente as the new head coach of the national team.

That was a huge surprise since De La Fuente had very limited coaching experience in senior competitions. He started his career coaching Portugalete in the regional leagues and had a short stint in Segunda, leading Aurrera de Vitoria. After that, De La Fuente led the youth academies in Bilbao, and after only a couple of months in charge at Alaves, he took over the Spanish youth selections in 2013.

Two years later, he led the U-19 team to the win in the European championship. He took over the U-21 team in 2018 and the following year won another EURO. De La Fuente also led the Spanish Olympic team, winning the bronze medal in Tokyo in 2021.

He took over the senior squad in December 2022. He made his debut three months later, leading Spain to a 3-0 win over Norway.

Shortly after, Spain won the first edition of the Nations League, defeating Croatia in the final in a penalty shootout. That was the moment when everybody started believing in De La Fuente.

He made many roster changes since taking over the job and implemented a system that obviously worked. Team cohesion and versatility over-reliance on star players was his winning recipe.

2024 EURO Victory

Spain qualified for the 2024 EURO by topping Group A with 7 wins in 8 games. They were not listed among the main favorites to win the title. Germany was strong at home, Italy was the defending champion, England was hungry for success, and France was among the best teams in the world in the past couple of decades.

De La Fuente had a mix of young and experienced players, but none of them had any significant international success other than the League of Nations victory.

The draw put Spain in the "group of death" along with the defending champion Italy, the runner-up from the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Croatia, and Albania.

Spain silenced the doubters from the moment they stepped on the pitch. They scored three goals in the opening half against Croatia, making a statement that they are here to win.

Italy also started well with a 1-0 win over Albania, and the second round of the group stage brought the clash of the titans. Italy was considered the favorite to win the game, but Spain was very confident as they had won 3 of the previous 4 games against the "Azzuri." It was a tight match, with both teams having their chance, and the key moment was Riccardo Calafiori's own goal, which gave Spain a 1-0 win.

The same score was at the end of the game against Albania, and Spain advanced into the knockout stage with nine points.

That gave them an easier opponent like Georgia, a team that made their first appearance in such competition. The Georgians got on the board first, and Spain needed time to regroup. However, they turned up the heat and won 4-1.

Spain was the underdog in the quarterfinal against the host, Germany. Dani Olmo put Spain in the lead following an assist by Lamine Yamal, but Florian Wirtz sent the game to extra time with a late goal. Mikel Merino became the new hero of the nation, scoring the winner in the final minute of the extra time.

The semifinal started badly for Spain, as France took the lead after only nine minutes of action. De La Fuente's squad kept their composure, and Yamal and Olmo both scored in a span of four minutes in the middle of the first half to set the final 2-1 score.

Spain was in the final against England. "The Three Lions" were desperate to finally win a major tournament after a heartbreaking loss at the last EURO. Again, Spain showed their brilliance and won the game after Mikel Oyarzabal scored four minutes in time to set the final score: Spain 2, England 1.

"It's not that I thought we were favourites, but I felt we were in a position to win the tournament and we have done," said De La Fuente after the win.

"I am proud of them and happy about the excitement we have generated back home. These players have made history and they still have a long way to go."

Just like that, De La Fuente turned from a huge question mark to Spain's savior. After 12 years, Spain was again on top of the continent. De La Fuente's strategy and belief in the young squad took Spain to the top, and as long as he was in charge, "La Roja" would be targeting every trophy.