The journey of one thousand miles, they say begins with a step, and for the global sports, Spain appears to be taking the world by storm. The winning of the World Tennis championship, popularly known as the Davis Cup, the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and the EURO 2008 title is an indication that Spain could be working towards being the abode of sports.
The Euro Cup 2008 served as Spain’s launch pad to stardom. Beating Germany by a lone goal in the final to lift its first major title in 44 years was all that was needed to rediscover the talisman. Chelsea striker, Fernando Torres scored in the 33rd minute and the Spaniards never backed down against such a formidable opponent. In beating a team that makes a habit of appearing in championship finals, the Spaniards put to rest that appendage of underachievers  . Always loaded with talented players, Spain had spent four decades falling short of expectations. 
Their last significant title in football came in the 1964 Euros at home but history was rewritten after the Spaniards swept their first-round games. They eliminated World Cup champion Italy in a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals, then spanked Russia 3-0 in the semifinals.
2010 provided another platform for the team to shine. The name L’Equip d’Or, meaning Golden Team manifested when the Spaniards lifted the 2010 FIFA World Cup hosted by South Africa against all odds. It was a victory to behold. The team’s other nicknames La Roja (The Red) or La Furia Roja (The Red Fury) may have contributed to ginger them to victory.
Spain’s place was assured among world football’s all-time greatest teams when Andres Iniesta scored with four minutes of extra time remaining, to beat the Netherlands 1-0 and clinch his country’s first World Cup. The goal secured Spain’s fourth straight 1-0 victory in South Africa, and made the team only the third to be world and European champion at the same time as well as becoming the eighth nation to receive the honour in the tournament’s 80-year history.
The players’ performance catapulted them to the Apex of their career. This was visible in last year’s World Footballer of the Year Award. Seven Spanish players made the 23-man list compiled by  Federation of International Football Association, FIFA. 
The Spanish League played a major role in boost their victories. For example, all the seven players that made the list including Iker Casillas, Real Madrid, Cesc Fabregas Barcelona, Spain), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona, Spain), Gerard Pique (Barcelona; David Villa, Barcelona; Xabi Alonso,  Real Madrid;  and Xavi , Barcelona; ply their trade in the La-Liga (Spanish Top League). The Spanish league has a way of instilling discipline into the Spain National team despite players’ burst-ups during el clasico game (between Real Madrid and Barcelona). 
In April, following the two stormy Champions League fixtures between the sides that spawned claims of racism, complaints to UEFA and crazy conspiracy theories, Spain’s national coach Vicente del Bosque admitted that the development could negatively affect his team’s future performance. 
Barcelona and Real Madrid comprised 11 of the 21 players Spain named for their friendly defeat to Italy earlier in August, and that was with Sergio Ramos, Carles Puyol, Xavi and Cesc Fabregas all absent. The Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup spirit propelled them to victory in the friendly against Italy including the earlier matches against USA and Venezuela in June. Unlike previous Spanish teams which were undermined by regional differences, this one seems to be more unified.
Though majority of the side play for just two clubs – Barcelona and Real Madrid seven of the 11 that  started against Germany at the 2010 World Cup play for the Catalan club (Barcelona). And it is ironic that Spain’s elegant charge for World Cup glory is being led by players who make their living with a team central to the political and cultural fabric of the region of Catalonia, which has historically had a tense relationship with Madrid.
Jose Luis Astiazaran, the president of La Liga, suggested that part of Spain’s success was down to the prevalence of home-grown players in the league. He said 77 percent  of La Liga’s players could play for the national team. In contrast, England’s Premier League consists of just 40 percent  of English players.
Spain’s own golden generation is the result of years of youth development and a commitment to high footballing principles, as the players have played together for a long time having risen through the Spanish youth system.
Aside the FIFA footballer of the year award, Spain produced the highest number of players in the top 50 players in the 2010 world cup. Nine players from Spain made the 50-man list, while Brazil closely followed with six players. Apart from Fernando Torres, David Silva and Carles Puyol, every other players that made the 23-man list for the World Footballer Award were among the 50 best player in the 2010 world cup.
Spain remained top on FIFA ranking from August 2011 till date after they won the World Cup in July. They had occupied the spot in July 2008 – June 2009 after they lifted the EURO 2008 trophy.  October 2009 – March 2010 was another period when they maintained the top spot and their lowest FIFA ranking was in March 1998.
The team’s first international match was a lone goal defeat of Denmark in Brussels, Belgium on August 28, 1920. Their biggest win was a 13–0 win of Bulgaria in Spain on May 21, 1933, while their biggest defeat was the 7-1 thumping by Italy on June 4, 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands, as well as the   7-1 whitewash by England in London, England on December 9, 1931. With 13 world cup appearances, 8 European Championship appearances and one Confederations Cup appearance Spain  also has Men’s Football Olympic Gold in their coffer which was won in Barcelona in 1992. They also won Silver at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics and the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
The country extended her dominance in sports with the clinching of the Davis Cup after world number two tennis player, Rafael Nadal outshined Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro. The 1-6, 6-4, 6-1, 7-6 (0) win was Spain’s third Davis Cup title in four years. Nadal had secured a point in the win over the United States as a teenager at the Olympic Stadium in Spain in the 2004 final. Apart from the United States’ teams of the late 1970s and early 1980s,  no  country has dominated the competition to such an extent displayed by Spain. No wonder, Argentina captain, Tito Vazquez said after Spain stretched its record home winning streak to 21 series that “they are probably one of the best teams in history.”

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