Home of football statistics and historySpain have lifted the World Cup just once, in 2010, but that single triumph sits at the end of a long line of memorable tournament performers. From the goalscorers of the 1980s to the side that finally conquered the world in South Africa, La Roja have given the competition plenty to remember.
They arrive at the 2026 finals as one of the favourites, ranked second in the world by FIFA, and their attackers feature prominently in the Spain top goal scorer odds. Before this year’s squad write their own chapter, here are the names who came before them.
In this article, we look back at five players who shaped Spain’s World Cup story.
Emilio Butragueno
Emilio Butragueno produced one of the great individual World Cup displays at Mexico 1986. In the round of 16 against Denmark, the forward known as ‘El Buitre’ scored four goals in a 5-1 win, dragging Spain into the quarter-finals almost on his own.
The nickname means ‘The Vulture’, and his predatory instincts that day have rarely been matched at a World Cup. It also announced Spain as a side capable of hurting anyone on the biggest stage.
David Villa
David Villa is Spain’s all-time leading scorer with 59 goals, and no Spaniard has found the net more often at World Cups than his nine. He had shown his pedigree at the 2006 finals in Germany, but it was 2010 when he became central to a winning side, scoring five times in South Africa.
Villa carried the attack through a series of tight knockout games against Portugal and Paraguay. For a cautious team, his finishing kept everything moving forward.
Iker Casillas
Iker Casillas captained Spain to glory in 2010 and was named the tournament’s best goalkeeper. He kept five clean sheets across the seven matches and produced a vital late save from a penalty against Paraguay in the quarter-final.
The Real Madrid goalkeeper won more than 160 caps for his country. For a team that won the entire knockout stage with a run of 1-0 results, he was as important as anyone further up the pitch.
Carles Puyol
Carles Puyol is remembered for one towering moment. With the 2010 semi-final against Germany goalless, the centre-back climbed above the defence to head home a corner and send Spain into their first World Cup final.
It was a rare goal from a defender who built his name on stopping them, and it carried Spain to the edge of history.
Andres Iniesta
Andres Iniesta scored the most famous goal in Spain’s history. Deep into extra time of the 2010 final against the Netherlands, the midfielder controlled a pass on the edge of the penalty area and drilled a low finish past Maarten Stekelenburg to win the match 1-0.
It delivered Spain’s first and only World Cup, and Iniesta’s strike is still the moment every Spain supporter returns to.
More than a decade after that night in Johannesburg, the 2010 side still shapes how Spain are judged, and they remain among the names that dominate football betting markets whenever a World Cup comes around. The current generation will be desperate to add a second star in 2026.
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