- NFL
- NBA
- MLB
- NHL
- World Cup
- Betting
- SN 140
- Archive
- NFL
- NBA
- MLB
- NHL
- Soccer
- NCAAF
- NCAAMB
- NCAAWB
- WNBA
- Boxing
- MMA
- WWE
- F1
- NASCAR
- Golf
- Tennis
- College
- High School
- Darts
- Horse Racing
- Olympics
- More Sports
- Fantasy
- Betting
- Prediction Markets
- Watch
- The Scene
- Tickets
- Stadium Guides
- United States [English]
- Argentina
- Australia
- Brasil
- Canada
- India
- 日本
- México
- 대한민국
- España
- ไทย
- United Kingdom
- United States [Español]
- Việt Nam
- About Us
- Careers
- Privacy Preferences
- Terms of Use
- Privacy Policy
- Cookie Policy
Witters Sport/Imagn Images
As Spain looks for its second World Cup title on Sunday, it will be hard to beat the first time that La Roja won the tournament.
In 2010, Spain used its defense and timely goals to win six straight matches, five of which were clean sheets, to win the World Cup for the first time. As a result, Spain became the eighth country ever to win a World Cup and is still the newest member of the World Cup champions list.
This Spanish team was led by stars like David Villa, Xavi, Xabi Alonso and Fernando Torres as the squad came out victorious in South Africa. Here's a look back at Spain's first-ever World Cup title.
2026 WORLD CUP HQ: Latest World Cup news | Full World Cup schedule | Updated World Cup bracket
Last time Spain won the World Cup
Spain's only World Cup title came in South Africa in 2010, when the team used a stifling defense to cap off an impressive performance throughout the tournament. In the final match, Spain defeated the Netherlands for its fourth straight 1-0 win in the knockout stage.
The Netherlands also entered that match with a strong defense, having allowed multiple goals in a match just once throughout the entire tournament. As the match was the Final, it got chippy and included 14 yellow cards overall, eight coming from the Dutch as both teams struggled to score.
The match was tied at 0-0 for much of the time, with Spain and the Netherlands needing extra time to decide the final. While the Netherlands' eight yellows were notable, a game-changing moment came in the 109th minute as John Heitinga received his second yellow of the game. That meant Heitinga received a red card and was disqualified, leaving the Netherlands with 10 players for the final 11 minutes.
Spain finally broke through in the 116th minute, as Andres Iniesta buried the first and only goal of the match.
July 11, 2010: Spain 🇪🇸 wins the World Cup Final over Netherlands 🇳🇱 1-0 on an Andrés Iniesta goal late in extra time (🎥 via BBC).
pic.twitter.com/wH0g8R4lSk— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips) July 12, 2025
Despite the tight score, Spain was the better team this match with 57 percent possession and a 19-13 shot advantage. The Netherlands, along with eight yellow cards, had 28 fouls to Spain's 13 for the match.
Spanish goalie Iker Casillas concluded his World Cup with five saves in another shutout, allowing just two goals and collecting five clean sheets in seven matches. The entire run, though, belonged to David Villa, who scored five of Spain's eight goals including three different game-winners.
2010 Spain World Cup roster
MORE WORLD CUP NEWS:
- Odds, spread for Spain vs. Argentina World Cup final
- Printable World Cup bracket
- World Cup prize money breakdown
2010 Spain World Cup run
Group stage: Switzerland 1, Spain 0
Spain actually opened its World Cup title run with a loss against Switzerland in the group stage. Gelson Fernandes scored the only goal of the match in the 52nd minute, and even though Spain controlled possession for almost two-thirds of the match, the team couldn't break through.
Group stage: Spain 2, Honduras 0
La Roja got back on track in the next group stage match against Honduras with a 2-0 victory to put itself in position to make the knockout stage. David Vila scored Spain's first goal of the tournament in the 17th minute of this match, and he added another score for a brace in the 51st minute. For the second-straight match, Spain avoided a yellow card, all while controlling possession and holding Honduras without a shot on goal.
¡Imparable! Un gol con mucha garra y corazón de David Villa para el triunfo de España sobre Honduras en la Copa Mundial de #Sudafrica2010
El #MundialTelemundo a partir del 14 de junio por @Telemundo pic.twitter.com/ReoqICQ2pn— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) June 2, 2018
Group stage: Spain 2, Chile 1
Spain secured the top spot in its group with a 2-1 win over Chile, who entered the match undefeated and in great position already to join the knockout stage. Villa broke the ice again with a goal in the 24th minute, while Andres Iniesta added a score in the 37th minute. Spain did allow a Chile goal in the second half, but La Roja controlled possession and avoided yellow cards once again to fend off Chile's attack.
Round of 16: Spain 1, Portugal 0
Spain's first knockout stage match came against rival Portugal as the two teams renewed the Iberian Derby. To no surprise, David Villa was the hero with the match's only goal in the 63rd minute as Spain held Portugal scoreless. Spain secured seven more shots-on-goal and 10 more shots overall compared to Portugal, while also holding almost two-thirds of possession.
29 junio 2010
España 🇪🇸derrota a Portugal 🇵🇹 con el solitario gol de David Villa en octavos del Mundial 2010.
Han pasado 16 años.
🎙️: Onda Cero , Alfredo Martínezpic.twitter.com/OraiXdlWbI— ▪️ Macroski ▪️ (@MMacroski) June 28, 2026
Quarterfinal: Spain 1, Paraguay 0
This quarterfinal match played out similar to the round of 16 match, as Spain beat Paraguay 1-0 on a late Villa goal. This time, Villa scored in the 85th minute of the match to break the scoreless tie over a Paraguay team that played with a lot of physicality. Spain still dominated the possession battle, but found it tougher to score than in the previous few matches.
Ayer David Villa cumplió 44 años.
Su gol a Paraguay en Sudáfrica 2010, hizo a España superar un cruce de cuartos mundialista por primera vez. pic.twitter.com/gNZgnvLEOE— @Memorias_Futbol (@Memorias_Futbol) December 4, 2025
Semifinal: Spain 1, Germany 0
This match marked Spain's first appearance in a World Cup semifinal, and it came against powerhouse Germany. In what was perhaps Spain's toughest match of the entire tournament, the possession battle was pretty much even, though Spain had the shots advantage. This time, though, it was Carlos Puyol who scored the game-winner by heading in a corner kick in one of Spain's most iconic moments of the entire run.
Puyol bangs one in 💥
Spain and Germany ⏪ From the last time they met at the #FIFAWorldCup#Qatar2022 pic.twitter.com/pCnwwEBBx8— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) November 27, 2022
Final: Spain 1, Netherlands 0
Spain took on the Netherlands in a battle for teams in search of their first World Cup title. The physical match went to extra time tied at 0-0, but Iniesta scored a late goal while Spain was up a man to secure the title. The win marked Spain's fourth-straight 1-0 win and fifth clean sheet in seven games.
Daniel Chavkin
Daniel Chavkin is a Digital Content Producer for The Sporting News. A 2018 graduate from the University of Maryland, he has previously written for Sports Illustrated, NBC Sports and NFLTradeRumors.com.
Source: Sporting News
