Spanish dominance in the finals (World Cup, Euros, CL, EL) - 27 finals unbeaten, never lost since 2000/2001

Positive, technical football is the way to win a match. Who would have thought
 
Barcelona better team X2
Villarreal one mental penalty shootout x1
 
It's definitely odd. While they've generally been worthy winners, it's not as if these teams can be said to have been vastly superior to all others, to the point where it's natural and expected for them to win literally all finals they've been in for more than two decades straight. If it was one specific club, it would be easier to accept that they just found a secret that works. We're talking about several different clubs, though, as well as the national team, so can there really be some common factor that causes them to win absolutely every time, without exception, twenty-seven fecking times in a row? It seems unrealistic.

While mentality and belief counts for a lot in sports, does it really count for that much? And why would Spain specifically have so much more of it than anybody else? I've visited the country several times myself, and I never noticed anything about the Spanish people that screamed 'natural winners.' This isn't a trend that carries over into a wide variety of sports. If it was something that was just ingrained into the fabric of the country, why don't they excel similarly in all sports? And if there was just something special about Spain, why did it seem to begin abruptly at the turn of the millennium?

I'm not aware of any evidence of suspicious circumstances, nor do I think they could get away with some kind of scheme for so long across all facets of football, but I also can't find a satisfying, believable reason why they would be winning with such mysterious consistency. It's not something that ever happens, at all, in any other sport or game of any kind. It's so vastly outside the norm that it's easy to suspect something.
 
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The Barcelona and Spain NTs were usually very superior to the others. Real Madrid is black magic, with keepers like Karius, Donaruma, etc.
 
MexicanCowboy said:
I find it weird how most teams still focus so much on physical football despite the evidencie pointing out that working on technique usually works better.
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It changed ages ago, you just have to wait a while to see it as kids come through. I literally remember it changing when I was like 16 or so which was just under 20 years ago.

England are now producing really good young players, also worth mentioning we beat Spain in the junior Euros final (they have been quite dominant in that as well as you’d imagine). It’s not like they hammered us in the main final either, I think Southgate just did what he does. When we beat them at the junior level it was guys like Palmer, Gordon, Gomes etc playing. If you think we’re now creating guys like Mainoo, Wharton that McAtee bloke, there’s definitely a different style of player being produced now who are much more technical.
 
Stack said:
Technically just better than everyone in every way.
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I would also argue tactically, their midfielders just simply understand football on a tactical level way better than those of most other countries. Even the national team players that aren't seen as super stars like Fabian seem to just have a fundamentally better grasp on where to play the ball and how to move than those midfielders of most other countries.
 
Dansk said:
It's definitely odd. While they've generally been worthy winners, it's not as if these teams can be said to have been vastly superior to all others, to the point where it's natural and expected for them to win literally all finals they've been in for more than two decades straight.
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Not vastly superior, but I think in almost all those finals the Spanish team is the favorite or the odds are even. Not that many upsets.

Dansk said:
I'm not aware of any evidence of suspicious circumstances, nor do I think they could get away with some kind of scheme for so long across all facets of football, but I also can't find a satisfying, believable reason why they would be winning with such mysterious consistency. It's not something that ever happens, at all, in any other sport or game of any kind. It's so vastly outside the norm that it's easy to suspect something.
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It's a combination of two real, separate things (Spain producing a lot of great players and tactical changes in the 21st century, Real Madrid being an extremely wealthy and well-run club with a wonderful generation of non-Spanish players) and probably a bit of random effect. The Spain NT has had plenty of middling performances at international competitions, Spanish clubs regularly have crap campaigns in Europe, etc.
 
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Sevilla's Uefa Cup/Europa League success is pretty insane. Lots of close games in those runs too, but they were so good at getting just enough done. It was often like they had plot armour for the competition at one point.
 
They lost the Confederations Cup final in 2013 vs Brazil, so the title is not accurate.
 
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