The Spanish national team has completed the first round of the UEFA European Championship with a 3-0 victory over Croatia, successfully recording 16 goals in their last four matches, averaging four goals per game. This is a remarkably high figure, especially for a team that many consider not to be among Spain's golden generations. In 2010, when Spain won the World Cup with their golden generation, they scored only eight goals in seven matches during the tournament, conceding just two goals and never being breached during the knockout stages. In contrast, the current generation seems capable of maintaining a high level of efficiency and scoring numerous goals.
Reflecting on Spain's situation during the 2022 World Cup, the team's performance at that time did not suggest that this generation could create excitement. They faced accusations of being boring due to excess passing and a lack of creating danger, reminiscent of the 2018 generation, which was mocked by "Marca" after losing to Russia in a penalty shootout. The publication reported that Koke asked the referee if he could pass the penalty kick instead of shooting it after the team executed 1,008 successful passes in that match while only scoring one goal.
Despite bringing in a coach familiar with the youth teams, Luis de la Fuente did not inherit the problems of previous coaches. It seems de la Fuente has maximized his knowledge of the players from a young age. The 62-year-old has been coaching Spain's age-group teams since 2013, leading the Under-19 team for five years and the Under-21 team for four years, including one year with the Under-23 team. During these years, he won the Under-19 European Championship in 2015, and with the Under-21 team in 2019, and earned an Olympic silver medal in 2020. However, the most significant title was his victory in the UEFA Nations League just a few months after taking over the senior team from Luis Enrique, marking a turning point in the team's performance.
While Spain has not abandoned their possession-style play, they have become more capable of scoring and finishing. Against Croatia, the team scored three different types of goals: the first from a through ball, the second from individual skill, and the third from a cross finished by Carvajal. The team achieved three goals from 11 shots with a possession rate of 44% in the first half, showing that possession is no longer everything for the Spaniards.
De la Fuente's choices have significantly departed from previous phases. Nacho has become the main center-back, while Carvajal, who had been sidelined for a considerable time, has returned to the starting lineup. The variety of options has increased, highlighted by Lamine Yamal's impressive performance, who has become the youngest player to participate in the European Championship and the youngest to assist a goal in the tournament.
Without having names like Xavi, Iniesta, Ramos, Casillas, Villa, and Alonso from the golden generation, the current team seems capable of achieving distinction through their collective play and direct style, positioning Spain among the top contenders for the title, despite the current players’ market value being €965 million, which is about €300 million less than France and €600 million less than England.
