If Spain’s men’s team wins the World Cup final on Sunday, the Royal Spanish Football Federation would become the first to claim consecutive senior World Cup titles across both men’s and women’s tournaments. Spain’s women lifted the trophy in 2023; a men’s victory would follow that triumph and create an unprecedented run for one national federation.
The Spanish women’s team remains the youngest champion among a short list of nations that have won the FIFA Women’s World Cup since its 1991 inception. Only five countries have ever won the women’s tournament — the United States, Germany, Norway, Japan and Spain — and just two of those (Germany and Spain) have also won the men’s World Cup, which dates to 1930. Spain’s men have long been contenders on the global stage, appearing in 17 of 23 tournaments, but their only title came in 2010.
Spain’s depth of football culture helps explain its international success. The domestic structure centers on La Liga, one of Europe’s strongest leagues, and features world-famous clubs such as Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. Those clubs have dominated European competition, drawn global fanbases, and produced household names; Lionel Messi’s goal-scoring legacy at Barcelona is one notable example. Matches at historic venues like Camp Nou draw fans in near-pilgrimage numbers and contribute to a high-performance environment for developing players.
The rise of Spain’s women, however, was not smooth. For years the women’s league and national program suffered from chronic underinvestment, questionable coaching decisions and reports of mistreatment. In 2015 the entire senior squad publicly pushed for the removal of long-time coach Ignacio Quereda; players accused him of neglect and, in later accounts and a 2021 documentary, alleged sexual harassment and verbal abuse. That moment marked a turning point in demanding better governance and conditions for female players.
Tensions resurfaced ahead of and after the 2023 World Cup. In 2022 a group of 15 players refused call-ups until the federation acted to improve the program. After Spain won in 2023, federation president Luis Rubiales was widely condemned for forcibly kissing forward Jenni Hermoso during the victory celebrations; players demanded accountability, and Rubiales was suspended. He was later tried and found guilty of sexual assault in 2025. The controversy galvanized players and supporters, turning the team’s international success into a platform for broader calls for respect and reform in Spanish football.
Spanish solidarity extended across the men’s and women’s squads. Several members of the men’s team publicly backed Hermoso and her teammates; striker Borja Iglesias refused to play for the federation while Rubiales remained in office. After Spain beat France 2-0 in the World Cup semifinal on July 14, 2026 in Arlington, Texas, Iglesias and Hermoso were filmed embracing on the sidelines — a widely shared moment that symbolized unity between the programs.
Spain will meet Argentina in the final on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET in New Jersey. If Spain wins, the federation will have the rare distinction of holding back-to-back senior World Cup titles across genders: a women’s crown earned in 2023 followed immediately by a men’s title.
Madeline Fox is News Director at KCUR. For additional World Cup coverage from KCUR, see their Soccer City 2026 reporting.