Spain Football Club

Olympic soccer preview: Spain women seek gold after lifting World Cup

Coach Montse Tom proclaimed that Spain's women's soccer team has "insatiable ambition" heading into the Olympics. That mentality has served the squad well. La Roja is seeking to become the first team to win a gold medal in France after lifting a Women's World Cup trophy. "We have a group of players who love what they do. We take them to work, work and work," Tom said. And in that work, their enjoyment comes out and their talent shines and they can be competitive, because we have footballers who have an insatiable ambition and mentality. Loaded with talent, including reigning Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmati and two-time former winner Alexia Putellas, Spain won the World Cup despite turmoil surrounding the squad. Before the tournament even started in Australia and New Zealand, more than a dozen players stepped away from the national team, citing poor treatment of the squad. Then-coach Jorge Vilda was peppered with questions about the mutiny throughout the event. After the 1-0 vict

Spain's birthday boy Lamine Yamal wins Euro 2024 & best young player award

Spain's teenage phenom Lamine Yamal won the European Championship and the tournament's best young player award just a day after he turned 17. Yamal earned it mostly while he was still 16, but he crowned his contribution to Spain's success by setting up Nico Williams' opening goal in a 2-1 win over England in the final on Sunday. This is the best (birthday) gift I could have asked for. It's a dream come true, Yamal said. It got tough when they tied the score, but I don't know what this team is made of because we always fight back. England substitute Cole Palmer had equalized for England, but Mikel Oyarzabal clinched Spain's win in the 86th. Yamal set up Williams to score in the 47th by drifting inside Luke Shaw and playing the ball across to the left for the Athletic Bilbao winger to hit first time inside the far post. Yamal also brought two good saves from England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. Lamine is incredible, as you've all seen during this tournament, Williams said. The sky'

Euro 2024 Final: How Spain versus England stacks up beyond the football

Over the longer term Spain has a more impressive track record, too, with three European crowns. England has never been victorious

Euro 2024 Final: Spain, England clash more than just a football game

Football is seldom ever just about sports, and that's especially the case in this tournament

Euro Cup 2024 semifinal highlights: Spain beats France 2-1, reaches final

After seeing off another one of the pre-tournament favorites to reach the Euro 2024 final, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has warned England or the Netherlands that his team can still improve. Spain reached the European Championship decider with a 2-1 victory over France on Tuesday, with 16-year-old Lamine Yamal becoming the youngest-ever scorer at the continental tournament. France took an early lead when Randal Kolo Muani headed in a cross from Kylian Mbapp, who played without a mask, before Yamal's moment of brilliance in the 21st minute. Dani Olmo scored the clincher four minutes later. We were in a difficult stretch after not expecting to concede so early. I just took the ball and wanted to put it right there. I am very happy," Yamal said. I don't try to think about it too much, just enjoy myself and help the team, and if it goes my way, then I am happy (for the goal) and for the win. Spain, which is chasing a record fourth European Championship title, will play England or the

Euro 2024: Rodri calls for more protection for players after Pedri's injury

Rodri has called for more protection for players after one of his Spain teammates was ruled out of the rest of the European Championship. Pedri's tournament was ended after the midfielder sustained a knee injury last Friday in a hefty challenge by Toni Kroos at the start of the quarterfinal against Germany, which La Roja went on to win 2-1. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said Kroos should have been sent off in the final match of his illustrious career. He did not even receive a yellow card. As football players, we always want to be protected, Rodri said on Monday. This is the job of the referee. I mean, he puts the standard, so what is a yellow card or red card is his job, It's not our job. And we play with the rules or with the level he put. This is the reality. Rodri, considered the best defensive midfielder in the world, is expecting another hard-fought encounter in Tuesday's semifinal against France. Tomorrow is going to be a very, very physical battle because they are a very

Euro 2024: Merino's goal sends Spain to semis after victory over Germany

Spain and its fans celebrated as if they'd won the European Championship. After eliminating tournament host Germany in a thrilling quarterfinal, Luis de la Fuente's team has a great chance to lift the trophy in Berlin next week. Spain snatched a 2-1 win in extra time on Friday thanks to substitute Mikel Merino's header in the 119th minute. Merino celebrated by running around the corner flag, mimicking his father Miguel Merino's celebration after he scored in the same stadium for Osasuna in the UEFA Cup against Stuttgart in 1991. "I knew that there was very little time left and that it was one of the last attacks we would have," Merino said. I didn't believe that it had gone in until a couple of seconds later. When you get 30 slaps on your back it sinks in real quick. I am very happy for me and the entire team. It all comes down to one moment (the goal), but there is so much work behind it, all the training, the hope, the faith, and the belief in ourselves. Extra time came only afte

Euro Cup 2024: Uefa fines Germany over selfie-seekers on field with Ronaldo

UEFA has fined its tournament co-organizer Germany for failing to stop selfie-seekers from coming onto the field to get photos taken with Cristiano Ronaldo at the European Championship. UEFA published a slew of disciplinary rulings Monday that included two fines totaling 20,000 euros ($21,500) for the German soccer federation. The charges related to order and security at games and protection of the playing area at Portugal's games against the Czech Republic and Turkey. Multiple fans have invaded the playing field to take photos with Ronaldo during and after games. The Portugal star posed for one in-game photo with a young boy but grew visibly frustrated at the repeated security failures during the game against Turkey. UEFA announced it would review and increase security at stadiums. After a brief brawl between Georgia and Turkey fans in the stadium before their game at Dortmund, UEFA announced fines Monday of 30,000 euros ($32,200) for the Georgian soccer federation and 25,000 eu

Own-goals lead way in scoring chart after bizarre start to Euro 2024

There's just no stopping the top scorer at the European Championship. Own-goals lead the way in the scoring chart, with the fifth one of the tournament coming Thursday through Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori in his team's 1-0 loss to Spain. The other unfortunate players to score in their own net were Germany's Antonio Rdiger, Austria's Maximilian Wber, the Czech Republic's Robin Hranc and Albania's Klaus Gjasula. These five have come from just 18 games so far. There were a tournament-record 11 own-goals at the last edition three years ago. In an unusual start to Euro 2024, only one player has two goals Germany forward Jamal Musiala and 40 players have scored one goal. Gjasula has scored for and against his country. There's also this unlikely stat: None of the 47 goals have been penalties.

With Messi-style dribbling, Lamine Yamal thrills in Spain win at Euro 2024

At times, it was like watching Lionel Messi. How about that for a compliment for Lamine Yamal after another thrilling performance at the European Championship that showed just why there is such a buzz around this 16-year-old phenom with blond tinges in his dark hair and magic in his boots. One moment stood out, in particular, in Spain's 1-0 win over Italy on Thursday. It was the middle of the first half and Yamal had just started to put on a show eliciting some ooohs and ahhhs from a crowd containing Spain's King Felipe VI when the Barcelona youngster found himself inside off his right wing and with the ball at his feet. Suddenly, he exploded into life, slaloming through the attempted tackles of two would-be challengers Federico Dimarco and then Jorginho while keeping the ball stuck to his left foot. As another tackle came in, he managed to play the ball through to Alvaro Morata to get a shot away. It really could have been Messi. As it could when he cut back off his wing and

Google Doodle celebrates Spain's FIFA Women's World Cup win, details here

Google is marking Spain's debut title win at the FIFA Women's World Cup with an extraordinary illustration. Spain has become the first team to hold the under-17, under-20 titles simultaneously

Australia to host football cup of nations ahead of FIFA Women's World Cup

Australia's national women's football team will play home games against Spain, the Czech Republic and Jamaica ahead of the FIFA Women's World Cup

Fifa WC Highlights: Morocoo beat Spain on penalties, enter last 8 1st time

Fifa World Cup Round of 16, Morocco vs Spain Highlights: Morocco created history as they became the fourth African nation to qualify for World Cup quarterfinals after they beat Spain 3-0 in shoot-out

Fifa WC: Spain coach Enrique to become online streamer for tournment

'The idea is simply to establish a direct relationship with the fans who could be interested in live information about the team, from a personal point of view of mine and the training staff'

Portugal claims 'unfair' elimination against Spain in UEFA Nations League

Portugal manager Fernando Santos has claimed that his team's elimination from UEFA Nations League A was unfair

Even as World Cup is just 2 months away, Spain to focus on Nations League

Koke Resurreccin and his Atltico Madrid teammates feel right at home in the Spain setup. Koke, Marcos Llorente and lvaro Morata are used to not thinking too far ahead, as Atltico coach Diego Simeone is an avid proponent of the match-by-match attitude. He has gone by that motto since arriving at the club a decade ago and his players have fully embraced it. Spain coach Luis Enrique has been pushing the same thinking. The World Cup is in two months but Luis Enrique wants his players to focus on a more pressing issue qualifying for the Nations League Final Four. It feels like the World Cup is right here, but there's still a lot of time left, Koke said. Now we are focused on trying to qualify to the Final Four in a tournament in which we were very close to winning last time. Hopefully we can make it and that would give us a lot more confidence for what is ahead. Spain lost last year's Nations League final to France. It leads Group 2 entering the last two group stage matches at home .

La Liga: Real Madrid's attack stalls in 0-0 draw against Villareal

With Karim Benzema and Vincius Jnior finally contained, Real Madrid saw its five-match winning streak come to an end with a 0-0 draw against Villarreal at home in the Spanish league.

Italy beats Spain 4-2 on penalty shootout, reaches Euro 2020 final

Jorginho converted the decisive penalty kick on Tuesday to give Italy a 4-2 shootout win over Spain and a spot in the European Championship final

Bizarre own-goal helps Spain advance to last 16 at Euro 2020 championship

A bizarre blunder by the goalkeeper helped Spain find its scoring touch at the European Championship

Euro super league plan ends as fans force exit; 8 founding members withdraw

The Super League argued it would increase revenue for the top soccer clubs in Europe and allow them to distribute more money to the rest of the game