Spain's all time greatest XI
Spain is one of the most successful footballing nations in the world. They are home to Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, the two biggest clubs in the world. They have also won 1 World Cup and 3 European Championships.
Spain were the underachievers of football till the mid-2000s, who always disappointed in major football tournaments. They always had great footballers, but those players could not convert their talent into success in World cups and European Championships.
However, the Spain finally managed to turn the tide in Euro 2008, as they won the tournament by beating Germany 1-0 in the final. Their golden generation of footballers then went on to win the World Cup in 2010 and again the European Championship in 2012. Spain dazzled the world with their brilliant passing and possession-oriented football.
Spain have managed to remove their tag of underachievers by winning successive major tournaments. Moreover, their footballing history is resplendent with a lot of great footballers. Therefore, it is not a very easy job to select their all time greatest eleven. We now take a look at their greatest XI ever.
#1 Goalkeeper - Iker Casillas
Iker Casillas remains one of the finest goalkeepers of all time. He was always destined for greatness and did not have to look back since he debuted for the senior team in 1999. He came through the junior ranks and had played for Real Madrid’s junior teams before making his senior debut.
Casillas was a brilliant shot-stopper and could organize his defense wonderfully. His performance under pressure in the 2001-02 UEFA Champions League final against Bayer Leverkusen was commendable. Casillas also went on to win the Best European Goalkeeper Award in 2010. He won 3 UEFA Champions League titles and 5 La Liga titles for Real Madrid in his 16 seasons with them. Casillas still continues to play for FC Porto at the age of 37.
He won the World Cup and the European Championship as the Spanish captain. Casillas was known as “Saint Iker” among the Spanish supporters because of his soothing presence in the goal and uncontroversial career. He also remains one of the most successful footballers in the history of the game.