Euro, World Cup, Champions League… Spain’s golden century
Exclusive
It's Spain’s time to shine! Whether at the national team or club level, Spain is dominating the 21st century thanks to its outstanding performances.
Kiko López’s take on Spanish football supremacy
In an exclusive interview with Foot Africa, Spanish coach Kiko López revealed the reasons behind Spain’s dominance in world football over recent years.
Honestly, we have a solid pool of players in Spain, and our national team managers are spoiled for choice when it comes to picking squads for continental and international tournaments.
We also have to acknowledge that we have the best coaches and trainers in the world, which largely explains La Roja’s clear tactical superiority over their opponents throughout the last World Cup.
Another reason for this supremacy lies in the quality of work done by the academies. Young players in Spain quickly develop strong technical skills and a keen tactical understanding of the game. This deep-rooted work in the youth academies of professional clubs, as well as in the various national youth teams, allows Spain to constantly inject fresh blood without losing its footballing identity. That stability is the backbone of Spanish football’s current strength.
I believe Spanish football will keep progressing, driven by this phenomenal momentum of success.
La Roja on top of the world
By winning their second World Cup after 2010, La Roja has established itself as the team of the century, as no other national side has managed to lift the trophy twice during this period. Brazil (2002), Italy (2006), Germany (2014), France (2018), and Argentina (2022) have each claimed the trophy once.
The same story unfolds at the Euros. The Spanish have lifted three European Championship titles since 2008—more than any other nation. Since Euro 2000, won by France, only Greece (2004), Portugal (2016), and Italy (2020) have managed to win the trophy once each.

Club dominance confirmed
Spanish clubs are also ruling the major European competitions, which explains the success of a national team made up largely of players from La Liga.
Real Madrid has hoisted the Champions League trophy seven times this century, while Barça has claimed it four times. Behind them are Bayern Munich (three titles), PSG, and Chelsea (two each).
In the Europa League, Sevilla tops the winners’ list with seven trophies since 2000, ahead of Atlético Madrid with three. Villarreal and Valencia have each won one, trailing Chelsea and Porto, who have two apiece.
This undisputed dominance at both national and club level confirms the trend: the 21st century belongs to Spanish football, no question.