After winning the European Championship two years ago in Berlin, Spain were crowned world champions with a 1-0 victory over Argentina in the World Cup final in New Jersey on Sunday.

Spain had achieved the same feat in 2010, two years after winning the 2008 European Championship. This success underscores Spain's remarkable dominance in world football, both men's and women's.

Spain became the first country to hold the men's and women's World Cups simultaneously, after the Spanish women's team beat England in the Women's World Cup final in Sydney in 2023.

And that's not all: the men's team won the UEFA Nations League in 2023 and the gold medal at the 2024 Olympics, while the women's team won the Nations League in 2024 and 2025.

Over the past five years, Spain has won 16 world and European titles, from the Under-17 teams to the senior team.

Spanish football expert Guillem Balagué told the BBC: 'It's absolute dominance. It's like a perfect storm. We have a certain culture, we work in a specific way, and everyone believes in it. The important thing is not to stop.'

'It's another great achievement, because the men won the World Cup in 2010 two years after winning the European Championship. We've done it again.'

Salma Paralluelo represented her country more than 50 times before turning 23 (dpa).

The Spanish winning machine: Women's football (11 titles 2022-2026)

Senior team: World Cup once (2023). Nations League twice (2024, 2025). Under-20: World Cup once (2022). Under-19: Five-time European Under-19 champions (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026). Under-17: World Cup once (2022); European champion once (2024).

Men's football (5 titles 2022-2026)

Senior team: World Cup once (2026). European champion once (2024). Nations League once (2023). Under-23: Olympic gold once (2024). Under-19: European champion once (2026).

'Appointing De la Fuente was a risk'

When Spain appointed Luis de la Fuente as head coach in December 2022, few expected him to win the Nations League (2023), the European Championship (2024), and the World Cup (2026) in such a short time. Spain had just been eliminated from the World Cup by Morocco in the round of 16 in Qatar, and the Spanish Football Federation needed a replacement after Luis Enrique's departure. Balagué said: 'They chose this man (De la Fuente) who understood the style of play and the system. It was a risky decision – I don't think anyone expected his great success.' It seemed risky because De la Fuente took charge of Spain, which had won three of the last five men's European Championships (2008, 2012, 2024), without having managed a major club. After retiring as a player in 1994, De la Fuente spent 15 years in various roles with several clubs, including coaching in Spain's lower leagues, youth teams, and assistant coach positions, before taking charge of Spain's youth national teams. Former Spain midfielder Juan Mata told the BBC: 'De la Fuente knew most of these players from the youth academies, and they are developing as a team. This is not just a team for the present, but also a team for the future.'

Yamal became the third-youngest player to appear in a World Cup final (AP)

Since his appointment as head coach of the senior team after stints with the Under-19s, Under-21s, and Olympic teams, De la Fuente, according to Neil Johnston on the BBC website, has fostered a culture of respect for opponents and instilled values of patience and calm. The success of Spanish national teams and coaches has extended to club football. Despite Pep Guardiola's decision to leave Manchester City after a decade filled with trophies, at least 25 percent of the managers starting the 2026-27 Premier League season are Spanish. The Spanish national team has not lost in its last 38 matches in all competitions, the longest consecutive unbeaten run for any European or South American team in history.

Meanwhile, women's football in Spain has flourished over the past decade and has also begun to achieve significant success in decisive matches. Spain's victory over England three years ago in the Women's World Cup final came in only its third appearance in the tournament, after its debut in 2015. Then the Spanish women capped that achievement by winning the UEFA Women's Nations League twice in a row in 2024 and 2025. Former player María Garrido, now a journalist, told the BBC in 2024: 'The changes in women's football in Spain have been extremely important. Ten years ago, when I was playing for Barcelona, there was no La Masia (the famous Barcelona academy) for girls. We paid for our own transport, our parents drove us to training, and we weren't paid anything.' She added: 'But in the last five years, the situation has improved enormously. We've seen remarkable progress. There are now intensive efforts to promote women's football, including the creation of new youth age groups, better facilities and conditions, and the establishment of a dedicated football academy for girls. This transformation has not only revolutionized the sport but also elevated the status of women's football in Spain.' These successes for both the men's and women's teams came after they won numerous youth titles over the past decade. 'Winning breeds winning.'

The future looks promising, with many believing Spain's dominance will continue. The men's team has two outstanding young talents, Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí, who earned their first World Cup medal at the age of 19.

Similarly, Vicky López, a player for the women's national team, won the Women's Champions League three times with Barcelona at the same age. Forward Salma Paralluelo represented her country more than 50 times before turning 23. Yamal became the third-youngest player to appear in a World Cup final, after Brazil's Pelé in 1958 (17 years, 249 days) and Italy's Giuseppe Bergomi in 1982 (18 years, 201 days). With Cubarsí joining on Sunday at age 19 years, 178 days, Spain became the first team to field two teenage players in a World Cup final.

Spain's women's team crowned World Cup champions in 2023 (AP)

Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart told the BBC after the win over Argentina: 'The Spanish team has a unique style of play that no other team in the world has reached. No one has been able to match them in this tournament; they only faced 10 shots on goal throughout the tournament.'

Meanwhile, Thierry Henry, winner of the 1998 World Cup with France, told Fox Sports that Spain has the necessary qualities to dominate for years to come.