Dark Horse To Dangerous Force—Spain’s World Cup Bid In Numbers

Going into a decisive final group encounter against Japan, free-scoring Spain is in an enviable position to advance to the next round of the World Cup in Qatar.

A victory against Japan sees it top Group E, while a tie would mean qualification in second if Costa Rica grabs a shock three points against Germany to steal the first spot. Losing to Japan and Costa Rica winning—or Germany scoring bucketloads to win—would mean elimination, a very fanciful outcome.

There is a possibility that, should Spain win the group, an ominous quarterfinal clash with Brazil comes into play. But, as expected, coach Luis Enrique has warned against complacency, as seeking a second-place finish is always risky.

When on top of its game, Spain can pose problems for any opposition as it aims for a second World Cup trophy. Here are the figures behind its challenge.

The team

3rd. Around the start of the competition, Spain trailed Brazil, Argentina, and France as favorites amongst many bookmakers worldwide. But a shaky start from Argentina means a confident Spain has taken its place in many people’s minds. Brazil is still gathering pace, but its flair and pre-tournament form mean it’s well-positioned to end European domination in the World Cup and win its first since 2002. As for France, Kylian Mbappe’s frightening speed in attack, plus its status as world champion, makes it an understandable bet ahead of Spain, too.

12. As a shock win for Saudi Arabia against a much-fancied Argentina proved, all teams are beatable in this tournament. Still, any side will do excellently to prosper against Spain without needing extra time and penalties. Compared to its wins in 2008, 2010, and 2012, Spain is not the same force it was in previous World Cups and European Championships. Nevertheless, the last occasion it lost during the regular time in these competitions was against Italy in 2016. Apart from losing in penalty shootouts to Russia and Italy, its unbeaten run in 90 minutes stretches to a dozen games in the biggest tournaments.

The players

Six. That’s how many players have contributed a goal for Spain in this competition—the most alongside England—and they all netted one in La Roja’s first match against a listless Costa Rica, which failed to register a single shot against Enrique’s men. Only one team has scored more in a World Cup game this century—Germany against Saudi Arabia back in 2002.

236. That’s the number of days between Pele, the World Cup’s youngest-ever goalscorer, and midfielder Gavi, who is now the second youngest after knocking in Spain’s fifth against Costa Rica, aged 18 years and 110 days. Pele was, however, a striker. That means Gavi, a roaming midfielder for La Liga-chasing Barcelona, can safely say he’s the most youthful to find the net in his position.

€5 billion ($5.2)—this amount may soon be the total sum of five young Barcelona and Spain stars’ release clauses. The Catalan club has supposedly attached a €1 billion ($1 billion) buyout figure to Pedri, Gavi, Ferran Torres, and Ansu Fati’s contracts. And it could do the same with a fifth Spanish player at the World Cup—youngster Alejandro Baldé—to reach that total. Each player looks set to play a part in any international success from now.

89.5%. Other teams’ players have completed more passes in Qatar. However, Spain has been most accurate, with nearly 90% of its attempts finding another player. Under coach Luis Enrique, Spain has made subtle stylistic changes since its golden age of three consecutive major trophy wins. Yet, as this statistic highlights, Spain’s reputation as the passing king is here to stay. Whether it’s Rodri in his newfound center-back role or Busquets dictating play from midfield, everyone is comfortable building with the ball.

The boss

Two. Enrique has managed Spain twice and is approaching 50 games in charge, spanning both spells. As an ex-player, the charismatic 52-year-old represented Real Madrid and Barcelona—historic rivals, of course.

43 is the number of options Enrique experimented with during World Cup preparations. Having narrowed his choices down, he tends to go for players who complement the team rather than selecting names purely on ability. If Spain reaches a World Cup final, he will have a maximum of 16 to deploy in search of glory, with five substitutions allowed this year.