Spain goes 30 games without losing

Luis de la Fuente praised his “extraordinary” Spain side after “La Roja” extended their unbeaten run to 30 competitive matches, breaking the team’s previous record.

Vicente del Bosque’s Spain had previously gone 29 competitive matches without defeat, from the 2010 World Cup to the 2013 Confederations Cup final.

But De la Fuente’s European champions surpassed that mark with Saturday’s 4-0 win over Georgia, taking their unbeaten run to 30 competitive matches since a 2-0 defeat to Scotland in a Euro 2024 qualifier in March 2023.

Spain have won 25 and drawn five of their last 30 competitive matches, including a penalty shootout victory over the Netherlands in the quarter-finals of the Nations League.

They have only suffered one friendly defeat in that period, a 1-0 defeat to Colombia at the London Stadium in March 2024.

But the scale of Spain’s achievement did not escape their coach, who said: “I feel with admiration and pride that I am leading an extraordinary generation of players.

“To surpass a record set by a group of unforgettable players is an extraordinary achievement. We must continue to move forward, achieving results and moving towards the exciting objectives ahead of us. Georgia have good players, but they faced an ambitious Spanish team that wanted to play well and win. “This is not a reflection of Georgia’s quality, but a testament to Spain’s performance,” he added.

Spain are already almost qualified for the 2026 World Cup, as they can only fall from first place in Group E if they lose by seven goals to Turkey in Seville on Tuesday.

But De la Fuente refused to call it quits, saying: “This team has many virtues, including respect. Until we mathematically secure qualification, we will continue to work as we have. I am happy with the players’ efforts, but there is still one more step to take,” he concluded.