Why did Del Bosque refuse to compare the 2010 champion team with the current one?

The Spanish national team has reached the World Cup final again after a 16-year hiatus. However, Vicente del Bosque, who brought the country its first world title in 2010, refused to compare the current generation with his championship team.

According to the former coach, the greatest strength of Luis de la Fuente's Spain is not just in the starting XI. The team has almost 26 players capable of coming off the bench and changing the outcome of a match.

“The greatness of the current team is that they are 26”

Del Bosque emphasized that it would not be fair to directly compare Spain's 2010 generation with the current one.

“I cannot compare my team with the current one. There are 26 players in the squad now, and almost all of them are ready to play.”

Spain's squad for the 2026 World Cup truly consists of 26 players. Del Bosque believes the current team's main strength lies in its depth and variety of tactical solutions.

This allows de la Fuente to change styles during a game, replace a tired player with an equally capable teammate, and choose a new plan depending on the opponent.

Yamal and Williams have not yet reached their peak

The former coach drew attention to the fact that Spain's main wingers, Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, arrived at the World Cup after recovering from injuries.

Nevertheless, both players performed at a high level throughout the tournament.

“Even though Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams have not yet reached their peak form, they are playing at a very high level,” said Del Bosque.

Due to injuries, Spain could not use the best version of its wingers from the start of the tournament. In Del Bosque's opinion, the fact that the team is still getting results highlights the strength of the squad even more.

Oyarzabal's unsung role

Del Bosque singled out Mikel Oyarzabal as one of the most important players for the current Spain team.

“Oyarzabal moves very well between the lines and plays confidently in front of goal.”

The forward does not always wait in the penalty area like a classic center-forward. He drops deep, links up with the midfield, drags defenders with him, and opens up spaces for Yamal, Dani Olmo, or Álex Baena.

The former coach also praised Baena's contribution to the starting lineup. This shows that Spain is not dependent on one or two stars.

One goal was enough in the 2010 final

Spain, under the management of Del Bosque, defeated the Netherlands 1-0 in the 2010 World Cup final.

The score remained goalless in regular time, and in the final minutes of extra time, Andrés Iniesta scored the decisive goal. Thus, Spain became world champions for the first time in its history.

That team went down in history with players like Xavi, Iniesta, Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, and David Villa. The current generation is approaching a second star with a different style and new heroes.

Spain now faces its biggest test

In the 2026 World Cup final, Spain will face the reigning world champions, Argentina. The match will take place on July 19 at the New York New Jersey Stadium and will kick off at 00:00 Tashkent time on July 20.

The 2010 team wrote its history with one strike from Iniesta. Now, Yamal, Oyarzabal, Baena, and their teammates have the opportunity to add a new chapter to Spanish football.

Del Bosque did not compare the two generations. But one thing is clear from his words: the current Spain team has a strong and deep enough squad to win a second world title.