How Spain Built A Foundation That Produced Its Current World Cup Stars

There may not be a clear favorite on Sunday when Spain and Argentina meet in the FIFA World Cup final, but there are very discernable differences in the way each team arrived at this point. 

For Argentina, Lionel Messi is the star. He is the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer with 21 goals. In 2022, he was the tournament’s best player with seven goals and three assists. Entering Sunday, he has eight goals and four assists at this World Cup. Unquestionably, Messi has a supporting cast with Argentina that consists of global stars. But Messi is the star. 

On the other side, it is a completely different approach. 

For Spain, there are world-class players on the roster, but the team is the star. Even with a player such as Lamine Yamal, who was recently a finalist for the Ballon d’Or as an 18-year-old, no single player is above the team or its system. Instead, every player fills a role within that system and sticks to that role.

Former Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and Inter Milan star forward Zlatan Ibrahimović, now a FOX Sports analyst, put it succinctly immediately following Spain’s 2-0 win over France in the World Cup semifinal. 

"If I speak about Spain, I don't speak about one star," Ibrahimović said. "The team is the star. When they shine, they shine collectively — even if you have Yamal. This is not a team that is dependent on one player. It is not an individual performance. It is a team performance. Everything they do is as a team."

The 2010 World Cup champions (Photo by Shaun Botterill - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

At the heart of this team is a system that has been evolving for many years. From 2004-2008, Spain was coached by Luis Aragonés. Then, from 2008-2016, La Roja were led by Vicente del Bosque. Those years