For Spain, 2021 was the year of close but no cigar. First came the Euros, where Spain struggled mightily in the group stage until a rollicking 5–0 win over Slovakia in the final group match pushed it through into the knockout stages. From there, Spain squeaked past Croatia and Switzerland before falling to eventual champion Italy on penalties in the semifinals.
Then came the UEFA Nations League final in October, where Spain took a second-half lead only to see Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappé see France through to the title. La Furia Roja’s hope will be that the third time's the charm after winning its qualifying group on the final day, when it defeated Sweden and avoided a playoff that saw the Swedes miss out.
After the debacles that were the 2014 and 2018 World Cups, Luis Enrique was brought in with this World Cup in mind. In 2014 as reigning champion, Spain failed to make it out of the group stage. In 2018, Spain fired manager Julen Lopetegui just two days before its opening game for going behind the federation’s back after Lopetegui was announced as Real Madrid manager. Now, under relatively calm circumstances, Spain is once again a contender.
