Spain end the year with a near-perfect record and expect one of three in the quarter-finals of the Nations League

Spain managed to pull off a win against Switzerland deep into stoppage time on Monday night, with Bryan Zaragoza's penalty securing a 3-2 win. It was another win for La Roja, and another demonstration of their strength in depth, with only the players who started the Euro 2024 final involved.

It was Spain's 12th competitive win in 2024, out of 13 matches. They were unbeaten, with their only draw coming against Serbia (0-0). They were beaten by Colombia in March, but it was a friendly. Ace for AS DiarySpain will return to first place in the FIFA rankings if Argentina do not beat Peru on Tuesday night. It would be his first time at the top since Vicente del Bosque left.

Spain's win over Switzerland means #LaRoja they won 12 of their 13 competitive games in 2024. pic.twitter.com/EvkTghDCn1

— Football España (@footballespana_) November 19, 2024

Their excellent record, winning 5 out of 6 Nations League games, qualified them in pot one for the quarter-finals, which will take place in March at home and home. Its pot includes Portugal, France and Germany. From their group Denmark has also qualified, which means that La Roja will face one of Croatia, Italy or the Netherlands in the spring. During Euro 2024, Spain beat Croatia (3-0) and Italy (1-0) in the group stage in Germany. The draw will take place this Friday.

Manager Luis de la Fuente came into the job with significant doubts, and after a series of faux pas off the field, and a defeat to Scotland in his second game, his first year did little to assuage those. This calendar year has been less than perfect for de la Fuente and La Roja, however, and they will now be favorites for almost every game going into next year.