On July 1, Spain overturned a deficit to beat Georgia 4-1 in the round of 16 of the European Championship, advancing to the quarterfinals. This is the first time since 2012 that the Spanish national team has won a knockout match within the 90 minutes of a major tournament, be it the European Championship or the World Cup.
From 2008 to 2012, Spain enjoyed an unprecedented era of dominance, winning one World Cup title and two consecutive European Championships. However, the team’s fortunes took a downturn afterward.
In the 2014 World Cup, as the defending champions, Spain was eliminated in the group stage. In the 2016 Euros, they reached the Round of 16 but were defeated 0-2 by Italy, ending their title defense. The 2018 World Cup saw Spain advance to the Round of 16 before losing to host Russia in a penalty shootout. In the 2020 Euros, Spain progressed from the group stage, then won against Croatia in extra time and Switzerland in a penalty shootout before being knocked out by Italy in another shootout. In the 2022 World Cup, Spain advanced from the group stage only to exit in the Round of 16 after losing to Morocco on penalties.
With their 4-1 victory over Georgia, Spain has secured its first knockout win in regular time at a major tournament since the Euro 2012 triumph.