The final of the 2022-23 UEFA Nations League went down to the wire, with Spain prevailing over Croatia with a 5-4 penalty shootout victory after the match remained goalless at the conclusion of both regulation and extra time. La Furia Roja's win provided some degree of redemption after their shocking round of 16 shootout loss against Morocco at last year's World Cup.
Spain's rebuild following the aging and retirement of their iconic "golden generation" which won two European Championships and a World Cup from 2008 to 2012 is now just about complete; it can now be fairly clearly seen just how they will set up as they prepare for Euro 2024 in Germany.
Probably the most notable feature about Spain right now is their midfield. After a breakout Treble-winning season at Manchester City, Rodri has made the starting defensive midfield spot his own. Alongside him would ordinarily have been Pedri; however, the Barcelona midfielder was kept out of Spain's Nations League Final Four squad by a muscle injury. At the head of the "triangle" in the number 10 slot is Pedri's Barça teammate Gavi. What makes this midfield trio especially notable is the fact that Pedri is still only 20 while Gavi is 18; Spain's starters at central and attacking midfield could very well have already been settled for the next decade or even beyond. In addition to the starters, Spain's midfield is also extremely deep; they can call upon the likes of Mikel Merino, Fabián Ruiz, Sergio Canales, and Carlos Soler as backups if necessary.
A holdover from their dominant era over a decade ago, Spain continue to employ a possession-heavy playstyle with intense pressing. The match against Croatia highlighted this, with Spain dictating the tempo of the match almost from the opening kick-off. This is where Spain tend to be most in their element; the fact that the score was still 0-0 after 120 minutes was somewhat anomalous. This match somewhat echoed Spain's victory in the 2010 World Cup final which played out very similarly. Certainly, although almost all the players of that generation have since retired, its impact not only continues to permeate the current team but also evolve through the presence of Barça players such as Pedri, Gavi, Ansu Fati, and legendary full-back Jordi Alba; Barça's "tiki-taka" playstyle was the primary influence on the 2008-12 team's strategy. Although Barça no longer employ such tactics to their fullest extent, the lasting legacy is readily apparent for both club and country.
On the other hand, one key problem which Spain are already facing is their lack of options up front. Spain do not have a reliable goal threat. It should be evident by now that Álvaro Morata is not the answer at centre-forward. The question is, who else do they have? Fati? Pablo Sarabia? Rodrigo? None of those are exactly names that spark a great deal of confidence. The fact that Spain scored zero goals from 21 shots in the match against Croatia speaks volumes. Additionally, Spain do not have any prolific goalscorers at any other position. It must be kept in mind that a Nations League Final Four run is just two matches long; this is therefore likely unsustainable over an entire Euro campaign.
There is also the realistic possibility that Spain could simply end up being out-strategized at Euro 2024. As far as coaching at this level is concerned, Luis de la Fuente is a relative greenhorn despite having over a quarter of a century of experience in the dugout at lower levels. Although he may have come through the Nations League unscathed, it remains to be seen how he will handle facing off against the likes of Didier Deschamps, Hansi Flick, and Domenico Tedesco, among others.
While this Nations League victory is undoubtedly a positive step for Spain, there is still much uncertainty about their status as bona fide Euro 2024 title contenders. Although a fourth continental title next year is not out of the question by any means, it does appear to be a tall order at the moment, especially if they do not secure direct qualification from Group A. However, depending on how their younger players develop, World Cup 2026 or Euro 2028 could be more realistic title targets.
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