After spending over a decade bogged down in disappointment, Spain waltzed their way back to football’s peak by reaching Sunday’s Euro 2024 final in Berlin.
Winning two European Championships in 2008 and 2012, either side of their 2010 World Cup triumph, La Roja were set to dominate football for years to come.
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However, they fell from grace at astonishing speed. The players destined to replace their golden generation fell desperately short.
Spain’s 2014 World Cup defence ended in early humiliation, battered 5-1 by the Netherlands, crashing out in the group stage.
The two-time defending champions were eliminated by Italy in the Euro 2016 last-16, with newspaper Marca labelling it “The End” for Vicente del Bosque’s La Roja.
Spain fell at the same stage in the 2018 World Cup against Russia on penalties, completing over 1,000 passes but failing to hurt the limited hosts.
A better showing at Euro 2020 took a young side to the semi-finals but the 2022 World Cup last-16 defeat by Morocco was another painful exit.
However, the Spanish football federation believed the team was close to where they needed to be.
They replaced coach Luis Enrique with Luis de la Fuente, who had coached national youth sides for years with success.
Despite early jitters, including a 2-0 defeat by Scotland last year, Spain stuck with their little-known coach and are now reaping the rewards.
De la Fuente earned their first silverware in 11 years by lifting the Nations League last summer, pledging it was only the beginning.
And so it proved, with La Roja the standout Euros team, dominating the toughest group featuring defending champions Italy, before beating hosts Germany and France.
What they have achieved seems remarkable given their line-up boasts few recognisable stars beyond Manchester City midfielder Rodri.
Star winger Nico Williams has burst into the limelight and may get a big move this summer from Athletic Bilbao.
Elsewhere the team features many ‘misfits’, including Marc Cucurella who has struggled at Chelsea, Saudi Arabia-based Aymeric Laporte, and others who are not standouts for their clubs.
However, the man who has generated the most headlines for La Roja is an individual who was just 12 when the Covid pandemic began.
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A product of Barcelona’s fabled La Masia academy, Lamine Yamal is just 17 years old – his birthday was on Saturday – and has made history by becoming the youngest player to ever play in a European Championship match.
Yamal has played at right wing for Spain, happily turning defenders inside out with his dazzling dribbling and energetic displays to move into space.
Unfortunately for the teen wizard, competing in a major European tournament is not enough of an excuse to get out of doing his schoolwork.
Images of Yamal completing his homework surfaced on social media, highlighting the youngster’s remarkable work ethic to balance football and school.
“I brought my homework here,” Yamal said.
“I have online classes too and those are going fine. I hope the teacher doesn’t get mad at me.”
However, Yamal’s participation for Spain could come at a major financial cost.
According to Germany’s labour laws minors cannot work past 8pm, although there is an exception for athletes as the deadline is extended to 11pm.
Although a game may finish before 11pm, reports claim showering and completing post-match media duties are part of a full match and therefore need to be completed by 11pm.
If employers are found guilty, they can be fined a whopping €30,000 ($AUD48,181).
Of Spain’s games so far, four have taken place at 9pm, leaving the Spanish Football Federation potentially open to a hefty financial penalty for playing one of their best players.
German employment laws aside, Yamal is one gifted footballer.
He also had a brush with Barcelona icon Lionel Messi when he was just four months old as part of a photo shoot for a charity calendar, where the Argentinian held a baby Yamal.
Mounir Nasraoui, Yamal’s father, was asked by Spanish outlet Mundo Derpotivowhether Messi had blessed his child in the photo shoot.
Instead, Nasraoui issued quite the response.
“Maybe it was Lamine who blessed Messi,” Nasraoui said.
Nasraoui also boldly claimed he “knew he (Yamal) was going to be a star” from the moment he was born.
Remarkably, Yamal has a teammate who is older than his father.
At 38 years of age, Spanish wing back Jesus Navas is the oldest player in the squad and six years older than Nasraoui.
Having started five of Spain’s six games at Euro 2024, Yamal has cemented himself as a vital player in De La Fuente’s team.
England’s left side will have to work overtime to keep him quiet in the final.
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De la Fuente, more pragmatic than his predecessor, is profiting from his willingness to try different approaches.
Spain still enjoy possession but also release the explosive Yamal and Williams, fire in crosses and let them take risks to beat their markers.
While other coaches might have opted for one winger and a possession-friendly midfielder on the other flank, the 63-year-old goes full throttle with both.
Luis Enrique’s Spain tried to pass teams to death but at times in Euro 2024 La Roja have had less than 50 per cent possession.
De la Fuente knows his players better than most of his counterparts did at the tournament, having coached the vast majority of them over the past few years.
He won the U19 Euros with Spain in 2013 and the U21 Euros in 2019, plus silver at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Seven of the starting line-up that day have played at Euro 2024.
“I know the players very well, what we had available to us and we needed time to do what we are seeing now,” said the coach this week.
“I am not surprised by it. Cooking this up … is a long process but we knew the decisions and the path we had to take.”
That continuity has proven vital in the international game where coaches do not typically have long to work with their players and has taken Spain to the verge of glory once more.