Spain has rivalries with five countries, four of them being Europe's "
Big Five" nations and the other with its
Iberian neighbor Portugal. • Their
rivalry with Italy, sometimes referred to as the "
Mediterranean derby", has been contested since 1920. Their first meeting was at the
Olympic Games, in a 2–0 triumph for Spain on 2 September 1920 in
Antwerp. Although the two nations are not immediate geographical neighbours, their rivalry at international level is enhanced by the strong performances of the representative clubs in UEFA competitions, in which they are among the leading associations and have each enjoyed spells of dominance. Since the quarter-final match between the two countries at
Euro 2008, the rivalry has renewed, with its most notable match between the two sides being in the
UEFA Euro 2012 final, which Spain won 4–0. Spain has the advantage in the head-to-head, with 14 wins, 16 draws, and 11 losses, after 41 games, but both teams evenly split with 6 wins each when only competitive matches are counted. • Their
rivalry with Portugal, also known as the "
Iberian derby", has been contested since 1921. Their first meeting was a 3–1 triumph for Spain on 18 December 1921 in Madrid, the first ever international game for the Portuguese. Portugal had first draw in 1926, and their first win (4–1) in 1947. In this friendly rivalry, Spain dominates the head-to-head record with 17 victories, 17 draws, and 6 losses, after 40 games. They also lead Portugal in competitive matches, with 5 wins to Portugal's 1 with 5 draws. Spain eventually lost to Portugal in the
2025 Nations League final on penalties. • Their
rivalry with France, sometimes referred to as the "
Pyrenean derby", has been contested since 1922. Their first meeting was a 4–0 triumph for Spain on 30 April 1922 in
Bordeaux, though their first competitive meeting came in the
UEFA Euro 1984 final, which France won to receive their first international trophy. Spain has the advantage in the head-to-head, with 17 wins, 7 draws, and 13 losses, after 37 games. France has a slight advantage in competitive matches, with 6 wins compared to 4 of Spain. However, Spain leads in the 21st century, with 8 victories out of 12 matches between both teams. • Their rivalry with
England has been contested since 1929. Their first meeting was a 4–3 victory for Spain on 15 May 1929 in Madrid, the first ever English defeat outside the British Isles. The first of their nine competitive fixtures came at the
1950 World Cup in
Maracanã, where Spain won 1–0 with a
Telmo Zarra legendary goal. In their another World Cup meeting in
1982, Spain received England as hosts at the
Bernabéu, in a second round stage match ended 0–0. One year before, in 1981, Spain achieved its first victory at
Wembley. At the European Championship, they have met three times. In
1980, England won 2–1, sixteen years before
a quarter-final at
Wembley Stadium ended 0–0 after extra time with England advancing on penalties. At the
UEFA Euro 2024 final, with England were aiming to win their first European title, the Spaniards won 2–1 in Berlin, winning a record fourth Euros. Spain met a German side for the first time in a competitive fixture in 1966, as part of the
1966 World Cup, where West Germany (competing separately from East Germany at the time) came back to win 2–1. Since the
German reunification in 1990, Spain has remained undefeated in competitive fixtures against Germany, winning 1–0 the
UEFA Euro 2008 final, 0–1 the
2010 World Cup semi-final, 6–0 in the
2020–21 Nations League, and most recently in the
Euro 2024 quarter-finals, 2–1 against the hosts after extra-time. The head-to-head result is a tie with 9 wins each and 9 draws, after 27 games. • Their rivalry with
Netherlands, is one that has developed in recent years. Their first significant meeting came in the “final” of the
1920 Summer Olympics, where Spain defeated the Dutch 3–1 to win their first silverware in history. The team would meet again in another final 90 years later, this at the
2010 FIFA World Cup. In a very heated contest, marked by many fouls by the Dutch side, Spain would win their first ever World Cup. Spain and the Netherlands would not see each other again until four years later in the group stage of the
2014 FIFA World Cup; in a rematch of the 2010 final, the Dutch handed Spain their biggest defeat in 60 years as they won 5–1. Their next competitive game came in the 2025 edition of the Nations League, where Spain would go on to win the penalty shootout and eliminating the Dutch from the tournament. ==Results and fixtures==