Spain
Group:
E
First Match:
November 24, 2022, 12 AM SGT
Stadium:
Al Thumama Stadium
The team that won the World Cup in 2010 has had rough few tournaments, losing in the Round of 16 in 2014 and the Group Stages two years ago in Russia.
They only lost one qualifying match, against Sweden, and finished the group stage needing a point to earn first place. Ultimately, they won the group by four points. Last year, Spain performed admirably at the European Championship, making it all the way to the semifinals before having to lose on penalties to eventual champion Italy.
Just several months later, they exacted their vengeance on Italy by advancing past them in the UEFA Nations League semifinals but ultimately fell short in the finals, losing 1-2 to France.
Key Player: Ferran Torres (Barcelona)
Torres, at 22 years old, transferred to Barcelona from Manchester City during the January 2022 transfer window. He has played in 26 games for Barcelona, scoring 7 goals.
Despite only playing in 6 qualifying games, Torres finished as his country's leading scorer with four goals. He also finished as his country's leading scorer in the Nations League last year with six goals, and he added two more goals at the European Championships. As the team's star forward, he will be crucial to Spain's offensive success.