Spain's Euro 2024 win more dominant than golden era teams

Scribes in every corner of the world Monday will be plastered with images of England's all-too-familiar Euro heartbreak , and justifiably so. But between those stories, it could be lost just how dominant Spain was through four weeks of soccer.

This Spanish team was more dominant than the Xavi and Iniesta-led teams that won back-to-back Euro titles in 2008 and 2012 and the 2010 World Cup.

First, Luis de la Fuente's men scored 15 goals en route to the title, the most by any nation at a Euro event.

Second, Spain won all seven matches at Euro 2024, becoming the first European country to win as many matches at a Euro or World Cup and just the second overall, along with Brazil at the 2002 World Cup. It also became the first team since France in 1984 to maintain a 100% win rate at the Euros.

In comparison, the 2008 La Roja dominated the group stage but needed a penalty shootout to beat Italy in the quarterfinals, and the 2010 squad won four out of its six games.

It should be noted those Spanish teams played in a 16-team format that did not include a Round of 16 tie. As such, the 2024 team had the advantage of one additional game to reach seven victories.

However, this iteration of La Roja was not projected to be a juggernaut at the start of  Euro 2024. Following their disappointing showing in the 2022 World Cup, many viewed them as an underdog against powerhouses such as France, Germany and England.

That's why their dominant run was a little out of left field, and all the more impressive. With 17-year-old Lamine Yamal and 22-year-old Nico Williams already getting a taste of silverware, we could be on the brink of another Spanish dynasty just a decade removed from the last one.