Spain enters its upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures carrying an extraordinary burden alongside its global crown: an active 38-match unbeaten streak in official competition that forces the reigning world champions to play not only against their opponents, but against the passage of time itself.
Having conquered the FIFA World Cup by defeating Argentina in the 2026 final, La Roja now returns to tournament action with a rigorous 10-day stretch featuring four matches across two countries. Head coach Luis de la Fuente acknowledged the precarious nature of their historic run in an interview with Cope, noting that long sequences of success inevitably bring a team closer to defeat. «Cuando un equipo gana tanto como estamos ganando nosotros, y llevamos ya más de tres años sin perder, 38 partidos invictos consecutivos, récord Guinness… estás más cerca de perder», explained De la Fuente.
Wembley Opener Launches a Ten-Day Test
The defense of this historic unbeaten sequence begins in London. Spain travels to face England at Wembley Stadium on Saturday before returning home to host Croatia in Seville three days later. The demanding autumn schedule continues on October 3 with a home fixture against the Czech Republic, followed by a trip to Split to face Croatia once again on October 6.
This rapid succession of high-level fixtures places immense physical and mental demands on a squad that has captured three consecutive major trophies of maximum exigency under De la Fuente’s guidance: the UEFA Nations League, the UEFA European Championship, and the recent World Cup triumph. While the victories have piled up, the manager has continually emphasized that accepting eventual defeat is a fundamental part of elite sport. «Seguro que nos va a tocar perder», De la Fuente insisted, framing the streak not as an absolute guarantee, but as the consequence of sustained excellence.
The Anatomy of a Record-Breaking Run
Spain’s sequence of 38 matches without defeat in official fixtures stands as the longest unbeaten run recorded by a men’s national team, surpassing Italy’s benchmark of 37 matches set between 2018 and 2021 under Roberto Mancini. Prior to Italy’s landmark run, Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina compiled a 36-match unbeaten streak between 2019 and 2022 that ended in their opening World Cup match against Saudi Arabia.
A vital distinction defines Spain’s record: while La Roja suffered a 1-0 defeat against Colombia in a March 2024 friendly, their last loss in an official competitive fixture remains a 2-0 setback against Scotland in Glasgow on March 28, 2023, during UEFA Euro qualifying. That match marked only the second fixture of De la Fuente’s tenure as head coach. In the years since, official losses have vanished from the team’s ledger, replaced by a culture of winning that has transformed extraordinary results into an expected standard.
Next Steps in the Nations League
As La Roja prepares to take the pitch at Wembley on Saturday, the immediate focus shifts to getting through this opening block of four Nations League fixtures without letting the weight of history disrupt their tactical discipline.
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