After being crowned world champions on Sunday at the expense of Argentina (1-0 after extra time), two years after winning the European Championship, Spain's national team, led by Lamine Yamal, Rodri, Dani Olmo, and their teammates, wrote a new glorious page in the country's football history, following in the footsteps of the pioneers who won the title in 2010.

Just as their predecessors, led by Andres Iniesta and Xavi, who won the first World Cup in 'La Roja' history after their European Championship triumph in 2008, Luis de la Fuente's players achieved a very rare double, previously accomplished in Europe only by West Germany (1972-1974) and France (1998-2000) before the Spaniards did it 16 years ago.

This opens the door to dreaming of extending this dominance further, similar to that golden generation which continued its brilliant control by winning Euro 2012, completing an unprecedented treble.

De la Fuente himself said before the World Cup: 'I see some similarities with the group that won in 2010,' in a tournament where his team applied some of the recipes that led to World Cup victory in South Africa.

This team not only collects titles, but also, like its predecessors, is distinguished by a playing style resembling a relentless machine that gives its opponents no chance.

Lamine Yamal (AFP)

In a show of strength against France in the semifinal (2-0), the Spaniards provided a model of collective control, led by a brilliant midfield capable of depriving opponents of the ball during long periods of possession before delivering the decisive blow in a flash.

Thanks to this approach, the Spanish team left almost no opportunity for the French team and its fiery attacking trio of Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, and Michael Olise; they had almost no clear shooting chance, and finished the match with a modest expected goals (xG) statistic of just 0.3 (a measure of scoring probability).

De la Fuente said after the match, praising his team, which he described as 'the best in the world': 'I always say that the margin for improvement is limitless, and the players prove that every time.'

In the final against Argentina, the Spaniards again had over 65 percent possession, while the passing numbers also reflected the big gap (852 passes to 464).

During eight matches in the World Cup, 'La Roja' conceded only one goal, against Belgium in the quarterfinals (2-1), an achievement even surpassing that of the 2010 generation, which conceded two goals in seven matches.

But tempting comparisons between the two generations have their limits. The current Spain has not yet reached the level of the legendary duo consisting of Xavi and Iniesta, but it leans more toward attacking play to exploit the speed of its stars Yamal and Nico Williams.

However, injuries limited the duo's impact; both the Barcelona talent and the Athletic Bilbao winger were less prominent in this World Cup edition compared to the European Championship, where Yamal in particular played a decisive role in the semifinal (one goal) and the final (one assist).

Does this provide additional reason for optimism about the future of a team that includes names like Pau Cubarsi, Yamal (19), and Pedri (23), who seem to have a golden future ahead?

The experience of 2010 calls for caution. After its historic treble of European Championship, World Cup, then European Championship, the Spanish team did not win any knockout match in the World Cup until 2026 (eliminated in the group stage in 2014, and in the round of 16 in 2018 and 2022).

The style that won everyone's admiration, based on intense passing, sometimes relies on a delicate balance, and in lean years it turned into a caricature, with sideways play unable to create differences.

Luis de la Fuente's men also faced this challenge from their first match in the North American World Cup, when they drew 0-0 with modest Cape Verde.

Nico Williams heads the ball toward Argentina's goalkeeper (AFP)

The final also highlighted the lack of efficiency among Spanish attacking talents: 20 shots, 12 on target, for only one goal (although the Argentine net bulged two additional times from two goals disallowed by the referee for offside or a prior foul).

'La Roja' will also need to pay attention to the physical condition of some of its key players, such as Fabian Ruiz (30), Mikel Oyarzabal (29, scored 5 goals in this edition), and Rodri (30), winner of the 2024 Ballon d'Or and Best Player of the 2026 World Cup, who suffered successive injuries amid the insane pace of modern football that drains bodies and minds.

The next date will be in 2028 in the United Kingdom and Ireland, the host nations of the European Championship, to see if the heirs of the 2010 generation can rise to the same level, before dreaming four years later of a World Cup on their own soil, jointly with Portugal and Morocco.

Spain has imposed its authority on global football: the men's World Cup, the women's World Cup, the European Championship, and the Olympic gold medal!