Education, Barcelona and Basque culture: why Spain dominate football

Spain's men's national team has become the dominant force in world football, winning five of the last ten major international tournaments. Ahead of Saturday's Nations League match against England at Wembley, Spain are on an international record 38-match unbeaten run, with their last defeat coming against Colombia in a 2024 friendly.

The success extends well beyond the senior men's side. Over the same period, Spain have won six Under-19 European Championships, three Under-21 European Championships, and the Women's World Cup in 2023. At club level, Spanish teams have claimed half of all Champions League and Europa League titles awarded since 2009.

Three pillars of success

Football expert Guillem Balague identifies three pillars behind Spain's coaching culture. The first is the university system, which since the 1990s has produced physical and football coaches with a deep understanding of training and learning processes — some of whom, such as Rafa Benitez, went on to become major managers. The second pillar is Basque culture, known for its strong work ethic. The third is Barcelona's influence, rooted in Johan Cruyff and the tactical revolution he sparked.

Eight graduates of Barcelona's La Masia academy featured in Spain's 2010 World Cup-winning squad, and another eight were part of the squad that won the tournament again this year. Barcelona, under Cruyff, won their first European Cup in 1992 playing 'total football', a style later carried forward by Pep Guardiola, who led the club to three consecutive La Liga titles between 2008 and 2012.

The Basque Country has also contributed five players to the current World Cup squad, including goalkeeper Unai Simon and defender Aymeric Laporte. Beyond the pitch, Basque coaches currently manage four of England's biggest clubs — Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, Unai Emery at Aston Villa, Xabi Alonso at Chelsea and Andoni Iraola at Liverpool.