Football fans, mark your calendars. If Spain's Men's National Team manages to snag the World Cup trophy this Sunday, they won't just be celebrating a win; they'll be rewriting the history books. We're talking about the first nation ever to win back-to-back World Cup championships for both its men's and women's teams.
Yes, the Spanish women's team already clinched their title at the 2023 World Cup, and they're gearing up to defend it next year in Brazil. The men's team, meanwhile, has been a perennial contender, showing up to 17 of 23 World Cups. Their last big win was back in 2010, which, in football years, feels like a lifetime ago.
It's worth noting that the Women's World Cup only kicked off in 1991, a full 61 years after the men's tournament began. In that shorter history, only five countries have ever lifted the women's trophy: the U.S., Germany, Norway, Japan, and Spain. Of those, only Germany and Spain can boast a men's World Cup win too. So, if Spain pulls this off, it's not just a big deal; it's a massive deal.
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Spain’s men's soccer league, La Liga, is a global powerhouse, with teams like Real Madrid and FC Barcelona consistently dominating. Real Madrid is basically a trophy magnet, and Barcelona? The third-most valuable soccer club on the planet. Lionel Messi, for crying out loud, broke Pelé's single-club goal record while playing for Barcelona. Their stadiums are practically pilgrimage sites.
Meanwhile, Spanish women's soccer has been navigating a very different, far rockier path. We're talking poor coaching, a chronic lack of investment, and allegations of abuse within the league and national team system. Because apparently that’s where we are now.
Back in 2015, the entire Women's World Cup squad banded together to oust coach Ignacio Quereda, who had been at the helm since 1988. Players accused the Royal Spanish Football Federation of, shall we say, not caring much about the women's team. Some even refused to play internationally under his leadership. A 2021 documentary, "Romper el silencio," later detailed allegations of sexual harassment and verbal abuse against Quereda.
Fast forward to their 2023 World Cup win, and the players were still demanding basic training and resources. Fifteen players famously refused national team call-ups until the federation got its act together. Then, after their historic victory, federation president Luis Rubiales forcibly kissed forward Jenni Hermoso and allegedly behaved inappropriately in other ways. The entire Women's World Cup squad rallied behind Hermoso, demanding the removal of Rubiales and his supporter, coach Jorge Vilda.
They essentially used the global spotlight of their victory to highlight the utterly unacceptable treatment of female players. Rubiales was suspended for three years, then found guilty of sexual assault. Let that sink in.
Even members of the current Spanish men's World Cup squad threw their support behind Hermoso and the other players. Striker Borja Iglesias flat-out refused to play for the federation until Rubiales was gone. And in a moment that went viral, Iglesias found Hermoso on the sidelines after Spain beat France in the World Cup semifinal, sharing a hug that spoke volumes.
Spain is set to face Argentina at 3 PM ET on Sunday in New Jersey. History, it seems, is waiting to be made — both on the field and off it. Which, if you think about it, is both impressive and slightly terrifying.
