Spain shook off the tag of perennial also-rans to storm to victory at Euro 2008 and they have gone from strength to strength since then to put themselves on the verge of a first World Cup triumph.
Spain must ignore external criticism and show faith in the playing style that has served them so well for Friday's showdown against Group H leaders Chile, according to midfielder Andres Iniesta.
Good news for Barcelona and Spain, bad news for all their rivals. Xavi says he is in the best form of his life. The diminutive playmaker put in a match-winning performance against Real Madrid on Saturday, setting up both Barcelona goals in a 2-0 victory at the Bernabeu that put the champions top and made them favourites to retain their league title.
Liverpool have agreed to sell Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid, the two clubs announced on Tuesday.
Ducati's Casey Stoner delighted his home fans by winning a fourth consecutive Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island on Sunday.
David Villa earned European champions Spain a 1-0 victory over Bosnia in their opening 2010 World Cup qualifier in Group Five on Saturday. The Valencia striker missed a first-half penalty but made amends early in the second half when he rounded the goalkeeper to score from Cesc Fabregas's pass.
England were booed off at halftime against Andorra before grinding out a 2-0 victory as Europe's 2010 World Cup qualifiers began in earnest on Saturday.
Former Real Madrid coach Vicente del Bosque will take charge of Spain until the 2010 World Cup, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) said on Tuesday. The 57-year-old Del Bosque replaces Luis Aragones, who quit to join Fenerbahce after leading the national side to victory at Euro 2008 in June.
Tens of thousands of ecstatic Spaniards lined Madrid's streets and packed into a central square on Monday to raucously cheer home their football heroes, after Spain's Euro 2008 final victory in Vienna. Finally free of pressure after beating Germany 1-0 on Sunday, delighted players celebrated on a stage in front of thousands in Madrid's Colon Square and tossed 69-year-old coach Luis Aragones into the air.
Spain coach Luis Aragones said their 1-0 victory over Germany in Sunday's Euro 2008 final was just the beginning for a talented young side which he believed could win the World Cup. Aragones, who will turn 70 in July and was the oldest coach at Euro 2008, has made it clear he will step down after the tournament.
The Spanish media revelled in their side's impressive Euro 2008 final victory over Germany as the story dominated the front pages of every newspaper.
Spain will need to be at their very best to draw the sting from a powerful Germany side in Sunday's final.
Spain hammered Russia 4-1 in the group stage of Euro 2008 but it may be a very different game when they meet again in Thursday's semi-final.
Spain beat Italy 4-2 in a penalty shootout after a highly tactical Euro 2008 clash on Sunday to set them up with a semi-final against Russia.
Spain are unbeaten in 18 matches and have won their last eight on the trot. Their quarter-final opponents will need to produce something special to end that run.
There is something of a 'new dawn' feeling about Euro 2008 and it has a lot to do with the absence of some of the great names of European soccer.
Midfielder Xavi scored a fine individual goal to earn Spain an unconvincing 1-0 win over United States in their final Euro 2008 warmup.
Former captain and leading all-time scorer Raul and teenager Bojan Krkic were left out of the Spain squad for Euro 2008.
Spain striker Fernando Torres will miss Euro 2008 qualifier in Denmark after suffering an injury in training.
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Spain substitute Andres Iniesta cracked a superb winner as they beat a toothless England 1-0 in their international friendly on Wednesday.
Argentina moved up to third from fourth, trading places with France, thanks to the devaluation of defeats registered before mid-November a year ago.
Valencia's Fernando Morientes returned to the fold for next Wednesday's friendly against Romania.
Spain coach Luis Aragones could call up a replacement with Celta Vigo's Borja Oubina, Villarreal's Cani or Valencia's Jaime Gavilan among those pressing for a place.
A 3-1 victory set up a meeting with Brazil, who they beat in the final of the 1998 World Cup.
Spain fielded their second string to beat Saudi Arabia 1-0 in their concluding match in Group H.
Fernando Torres scored twice as Spain came back from a goal down to win 3-1 and snatch a place in the last 16.
Spain skipper Raul says that despite missing three months of the season with a serious knee injury he will be in better shape for this World Cup.
European countries begin their campaigns to reach the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa on Saturday.
"Football was the winner" is one of the most over-worn cliches in the game but it happened to be true about Spain's victory in Euro 2008. The connoisseurs will be able to sit back in years to come and simply say that the best team won what was one of the most entertaining and aesthetically pleasing football tournaments of recent times.
Turkey flirted with unlikely glory but in the end it was Germany, as usual, who battled into another major final with a thrilling last-gasp 3-2 victory.
Departing European champions Greece lost their third game out of three when they were beaten 2-1 by Group D winners Spain at Euro 2008 on Wednesday. Striker Angelos Haristeas opened the scoring for Greece with a header in the 42nd minute, his team's first goal of the tournament, but Spain equalised in the 61st through Ruben de la Red and took victory with a Daniel Guiza goal two minutes from time.
Morientes was one of four Liverpool players named in the 22-man squad for a friendly against Uruguay.
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