#spain 26

So I got curious about some comparisons between the teams, and here are some of my findings^:

1. Average Age* - the 2010 squad had an average age of 25.91, while the 2026 squad's was 26.19. The oldest players in 2010 were Carles Puyol and Joan Capdevila, who were both 32. In 2026, it's Borja Iglesias at 33 and Aymeric Laporte at 32. Even with 2 teenagers, the 2026 team has more players close to or over 30, which pulls the average above 2010. However!

2. Average Caps* - heading into the tournament, the 2010 team had an average of 38 caps per player, while the 2026 squad had only 28 caps on average. The most capped players in 2010 were Iker Casillas on 104, Xavi on 87, and Puyol on 83; in 2026 it's Rodri with 62, Unai Simon with 58, and Ferran Torres with 57.

So the team this year is not actually younger, but they are quite a bit less experienced. Both starting keepers, Iker Casillas and Unai Simon, were 29 years old heading into their respective cups, but Iker had almost twice as many caps under his belt.

This speaks again to the perceptions of the teams. Several of the players on the 2010 squad retired from the international team shortly after the world cup, and several more in 2012 after their Euros win. On the whole, it felt like a team that had reached it's peak and was now moving into a rebuilding phase. The 2026 team, though, feels different. I can't envision any of these guys retiring from the team any time soon. (Whether or not they get more call ups is another story.) This team isn't done yet; they want more, and they're going to go for it.

3. Club Teams - only 8 different club teams were represented in the 2010 squad, with the most players being from Barcelona (7), Real Madrid (5), and Valencia (4). The other 5 clubs had 1 or 2 players each. In 2026, 13 different clubs were represented. Barcelona again had the most, at 8, and then Athletic Club, Arsenal, and Atletico Madrid all had 3 each; the other 9 clubs each had a single player representing them. Additionally, in 2010, all but 3 of the players played for Spanish clubs, with the 3 outliers being Cesc Fabregas at Arsenal, and Fernando Torres and Pepe Reina at Liverpool. In 2026, 9 of the players are at clubs outside Spain, and beyond 5 English clubs, France and Germany are also represented.

This disparity is indicative of how much Spanish soccer has grown in the last 16 years, thanks largely in part to that 2010 squad. Spain has been an ever-present country on the world stage for decades now, but something has shifted in the last 20 or so years.

Not only did Spain win the World Cup this summer, but the men's and women's U-23 teams won both U-23 World Cups just weeks before the main event. The Women's national team currently holds the World Cup, as well. Spain is now the first country in history to hold both the Men's and Women's cups simultaneously. To quote an instagram post about it, "It's not a coincidence."

2010 was the beginning of something, and while there were some wilderness years in there, I think we are just now finally seeing the full fruits of that win come to light. I don't think we will have to wait another 16 years before we see the men get to a final again.