Spain has reached exactly two World Cup finals in its history: the one it won in 2010, and the one it plays Sunday. The 2010 final in Johannesburg remains one of the tournament’s iconic endings — a brutal, card-strewn 0-0 against the Netherlands broken by Andrés Iniesta’s volley in the 116th minute, delivering La Roja’s first title at the peak of the tiki-taka era and completing the Euro 2008–World Cup 2010 crown jewels of that golden generation.
Sixteen years later, the parallels are pointed. Both finals came with Spain as reigning European champion (2008 then, 2024 now). Both runs were built on defense — the 2010 side conceded twice all tournament and won every knockout game 1-0; the 2026 team has conceded once in seven with a record six clean sheets. Both finals were played outside Europe. The difference is the opponent: the 2010 Netherlands had never won a World Cup; Sunday’s Argentina is the defending champion, chasing the first repeat since 1962, with Messi in his farewell.
The Bottom Line
One final, one trophy, one immortal goal — and now a second final with the same blueprint and a far greater opponent. Spain’s full tournament record is in Spain’s World Cup history, and the series with Sunday’s opponent in the all-time record vs. Argentina.