🔎🇪🇸 Spain at EURO 2025: Can the world champions add another title?

Yahoo

5 hours ago

Spain's EURO 2025 journey begins on Thursday. Here's what you need to know as they kick off their campaign in Switzerland ...
📚 What's the story?
Spain arrived at Euro 2022 ready to crown a golden generation but lost Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas on the eve of the tournament and ended up losing to England.
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They went on to win the 2023 World Cup but that was bookended by scandals to do with the coach, the welfare of the players, and ultimately the head of the Spanish Federation.
They're out of that now and they arrive in Switzerland as huge favourites. The expectations couldn't be higher.
⭐️ Star player
📸 David Ramos - 2025 Getty Images
Where do you even start? Spain have the aforementioned Alexia Putellas — one of two Ballon d'Or winners in the squad — they have Mariona Caldentey, who won the WSL Player of the Season with Arsenal, they boast Barcelona regulars Patri Guijarro and Ona Battle, plus superstars in the making in Salma Paralluelo and Clàudia Pina.
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It's hard to pick one star player but it's also hard not to plump for Aitana Bonmatí. The back-to-back Ballon d'Or winner can control games and she can decide them. Unfortunately she was hospitalised with viral meningitis right before the tournament. Spain have the depth to cope if she isn't at her best, but they're close to unstoppable if she can recover well enough to deliver.
👀 One to watch
📸 JAVIER SORIANO - AFP or licensors
As of the start of the summer, 23-year-old Clàudia Pina has never started a game at a major tournament. That should change in Switzerland.
The Barcelona forward can drop deep and combine with Spain's possession game, taking things slowly and helping the team keep control, but she will crucially burst into life at the right moment with a run in behind. A direct threat who doesn't disrupt the flow, she has a nose for goal and it could be decisive.
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Likely 1️⃣1️⃣
(4-3-3): Coll; Batlle, Paredes, Aleixandri, Carmona; Bonmatî, Guijarro, Putellas; Caldentey, González, Pina.
Can they win it? 🏆
They can, and they probably should.
📸 Justin Setterfield - 2023 Getty Images