Spain's Greatest XI of All Time

Five consecutive Champions League finals, two won. World Cup winner in 2010, European champion in 2008 and 2012. For a decade, Casillas was the most decorated goalkeeper in the world. His saves in the knockout rounds of the 2010 World Cup — particularly against Germany — were the difference between Spain winning and losing. The last line of the greatest international dynasty of the 21st century.

Spain's most reliable right-back option in the modern era. Started as a defensive midfielder under Simeone before finding his best position on the right flank. Energetic, technically competent, and capable of contributing in both boxes. Spain's 2010s dynasty produced no world-class right-backs — Llorente is the best available option in the database.

The most important defender in Spain's greatest era. Puyol's leadership — the way he organised Barcelona and Spain's defensive lines, the way he threw himself into every challenge — was the foundation that the tiki-taka attacking play was built on. You can't have Xavi and Iniesta dictating from midfield unless someone behind them is keeping everything together. That was Puyol.

The most decorated Spanish defender before the 2008-2012 era. 89 caps, five La Liga titles with Real Madrid, and a Champions League. A commanding presence in the air and a reliable ball-player. His goal-scoring record from centre-back — 29 international goals — is one of the most unusual statistical achievements in Spanish football history.

Euro 2024 winner with Spain. His combination of defensive solidity and ability to contribute to attacking build-up made him the starting left-back for Spain's latest generation of major tournament winners. His performances at Euro 2024 — particularly against Germany in the quarter-final — established him as the best in his position in Europe.

2024 Ballon d'Or winner. The most complete defensive midfielder in world football — capable of breaking up play, retaining possession under pressure, and delivering passes that unlock defensive structures. Won the Premier League, Champions League, and Euro 2024 in the same calendar year. The heir to Busquets's role in the Spanish system and, by most measures, its evolution.

World Cup winner in 2010. European champion in 2008 and 2012. Named the best midfielder of his generation by UEFA. Xavi's passing range — short combinations in tight spaces, long switches of play, through balls into dangerous areas — defined what a creative midfielder could be in the era before positional play was the dominant tactical framework. He didn't run the game; he was the game.

Scored the goal that won the 2010 World Cup final. Named player of the tournament at Euro 2012. The most technically gifted Spanish player of his era — capable of dribbling through pressure in spaces where no one else would even attempt it. His close control in confined areas was unmatched. The World Cup final goal against the Netherlands, in extra time, is the defining moment of Spain's greatest generation.

Scored the equaliser in the Euro 2024 semi-final against France the day before his 17th birthday. The goal — a curling strike from a tight angle into the far corner — was one of the great individual moments in recent tournament football. Yamal's arrival represents Spain's third successive wave of generational talent. At 17, he is already one of the most important players in world football.

Spain's all-time top scorer with 59 international goals. Won the World Cup Golden Boot in 2010. A complete centre-forward — good in the air, lethal on either foot, capable of pressing from the front before pressing was called pressing. The focal point of Spain's attack during their three-tournament dynasty, and the player whose goals made the tiki-taka system work as more than a possession exercise.

Euro 2024 winner alongside his brother Iñaki. The left-wing partner to Yamal's right-wing brilliance in Spain's 2024 campaign — two teenagers on either flank, both capable of deciding games. Williams's directness, pace, and ability to create chances in the final third gave Spain an entirely different dimension from the 2010s sides. A different kind of Spain, just as successful.