Source: Sporting News<\/p><\/div>\n
FIFA ranking:\u00a0<\/strong>7<\/p>\nHow they qualified:\u00a0<\/strong>UEFA qualifying group B winners<\/p>\n2018 World Cup performance:\u00a0<\/strong>Round of 16<\/p>\nPrevious World Cup appearances:\u00a0<\/strong>15<\/p>\nBest result:\u00a0<\/strong>Winners (2010)<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\nBackground<\/h1>\nSource: Getty Images<\/p><\/div>\n
Spain are back at another World Cup and they will be hoping to forget their last two miserable performances. Many have begun to rule out Spain as one of the world\u2019s dominant sides, but a strong showing at Euro 2020 and an unlucky penalty shoot-out defeat against eventual winners Italy has changed the minds of many football fans. While this Spain team can\u2019t compare to the squads between 2008 and 2012, it still possesses enough quality to surprise opponents. La Roja <\/em>managed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup with relative ease, finishing top of their qualifying group ahead of Sweden, although they dropped points against the Swedes as well as Greece along the way. Spain were one of the lowest-scoring sides to qualify for this winter\u2019s World Cup, having only scored 15 goals in eight games while leading up to the World Cup they only scored eight times in six games \u2013 and only one goal in four of those games \u2013 scoring goals is a real problem for this Spain side.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
The Coach \u2013 Luis Enrique<\/strong><\/h1>\nSource: Stadium Astro<\/p><\/div>\n
Luis Enrique will be taking charge of Spain at his first World Cup as manager, after impressing with his side at last year\u2019s European Championships, where Spain missed out on the final via a penalty shoot-out defeat to Italy. The Spaniard had a successful playing career as a midfielder and is one of the few players to have crossed the Real Madrid-Barcelona divide after he joined Barcelona from bitter rivals Real Madrid in 1996.<\/p>\n
That Barcelona education has led to the manager he is today, with Enrique preferring a high-pressing, possession-heavy type of football, with quick transitions from defence to attack. Many have criticised the 52-year-old for some of his Spain selections, most notably for Euro 2020, where Enrique selected a 24-man squad despite being allowed to name 26 players, with no Real Madrid players selected. That being said, Enrique is a manager who only chooses players that are right for his desired style of play, no matter their status at club level, and some of his early performances have justified his selections thus far.<\/p>\n
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