Spain At The 2026 World Cup Preview — Expected Lineup, Coach And Route To The Final

BusinessSportsMoneySpain At The 2026 World Cup Preview — Expected Lineup, Coach And Route To The FinalBySam Leveridge,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Sam Leveridge is a reporter based in Spain with a focus on soccer.Follow AuthorJun 14, 2026, 09:39am EDTSpain's squad depth will be tested by injuries to some key players at the end of the 2025/26 campaign.AFP via Getty ImagesSpain heads into the 2026 World Cup seeking to make good on their favorites tag and add to their sole previous win in the tournament. That came in 2010, in South Africa, and it remains the high point of a generation that also claimed two European Championships either side of it. Everything since has been underwhelming by comparison, with a group stage exit in 2014, round of 16 in 2018, round of 16 in 2022. Now, fans of La Roja believe again. Victory in the European Championship in 2024, beating England in the final, has given the side a winning belief again as they arrived in the United States for the 2026 tournament.Group H: A comfortable rideSpain are in Group H alongside Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay. The side from the Iberian Peninsula open against Cape Verde in Atlanta on June 15, face Saudi Arabia in Atlanta again on June 21, and wrap up the group stage against Uruguay in Guadalajara.Uruguay, managed by Marcelo Bielsa and built around former Liverpool forward Darwin Núñez, is the only realistic threat to Spain’s chances of topping their group. Saudi Arabia caused one of the great World Cup upsets in Qatar by beating Argentina, so their capacity for disruption exists, though replicating that against a Spain side of this caliber would be something different entirely.The practical danger here is one of rhythm in a group which is unlikely to push Spain to their limit until the knockout stages. Spain showed at Euro 2024 that they can raise their level when required, grinding past Germany and France on the way to the final. Whether the...