Spain rode their luck to reach their third major final in a row and Portugal were the better team for long periods, coach Vicente del Bosque said after a 4-2 win on penalties in their Euro 2012 semi-final on Wednesday.
Spain's gamble of starting without a recognised striker almost backfired when the holders needed a Cesc Fabregas equaliser to salvage a 1-1 draw against Italy in their Euro 2012 Group C opener on Sunday.
Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas sustained a hamstring injury during training on Saturday and will be out of action for around three weeks, the European champions said.
Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta will missSpain's Euro 2016 qualifier in Belarus due to injury, it has been confirmed on the national team's website on Sunday.
Sevilla midfielder Aleix Vidal will join treble winners Barcelona.
Atletico Madrid's Brazil-born forward Diego Costa has signed a formal letter stating his wish to play for adopted country Spain, ending a tug-of-war between the two powerhouses over the in-form 25-year-old.
Friday's win should add weight to the predictions of many that Spain are favourites to capture a third straight European title.
Cesc Fabregas struck the winner as an experimental Spain side came from behind to beat Costa Rica 2-1.
Striker Fernando Torres and influential attacking midfielder Andres Iniesta are fit to play against Switzerland in Spain's opening World Cup match, coach Vicente Del Bosque said on Tuesday.
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque sprung three surprises in his 23-man squad for the World Cup in South Africa, including Barcelona pair Victor Valdes and Pedro plus Athletic Bilbao midfielder Javi Martinez. Goalkeeper Valdes replaces Villarreal's Diego Lopez as Spain's third-choice behind number one and captain Iker Casillas of Real Madrid and number two Pepe Reina of Liverpool.
The Spanish football federation (RFEF) said on Twitter that the news conference would take place at the team's World Cup base in Krasnodar at 0930 GMT (1230 local time).
Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas has given a strong indication that he will retire from international footbal after 16 years. The 35-year-old did not play in any of Spain's four games at Euro 2016 with national team coach Vicente del Bosque picking Manchester United's David De Gea in goal. Casillas, who made his debut in 2000 and is Spain's most capped player with 167 appearances, posted a video on his twitter account (@casillasworld) of a Rambo film with the dialogue saying: "I don't know where but I'm going."
Espanyol have agreed a deal for goalkeeper Kiko Casilla to join Real Madrid, the Catalan club said on Friday.
Barcelona's Xavi, Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta are on the shortlist for the first FIFA Ballon D'Or award for the best player in the world to be presented on Monday at a ceremony that gets bigger by the year.
Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta stepped up his recovery from a minor thigh muscle strain on Saturday but remains a doubt for the European champions' opening Group H match on June 16.
Victor Valdes is having another outstanding season for Barcelona and his continued absence from Spain's squad underlines the embarrassment of goalkeeping riches for the European champions. Valdes, who was called up once in August 2005 but did not play, has no chance of ousting Real Madrid's Iker Casillas as Spain's number one and if he makes Vicente del Bosque's World Cup squad will be third choice behind Liverpool's Pepe Reina.
As Vicente Del Bosque's high flying La Furia Roja side get ready to take on Bert Van Marwijk's industrious and effective Oranje at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg on Sunday, rediff.com takes a look at a few players who can make a difference to the eventual outcome.
David Villa has found the rich vein of form that can win a World Cup and as long as he continues to mine it, Spain will be quietly confident of adding soccer's biggest prize to their European crown
Spain, who won Euro 2008 with a series of superb performances culminating in their victory over Germany in the final, are ranked number one in the world and were grouped with Czech Republic, Scotland, Lithuania and Liechtenstein.
A dominant Spain got their World Cup campaign firmly back on track when David Villa struck twice to lead the European champions to a 2-0 win over Group H minnows Honduras on Monday.
Striker David Villa hit two stunning goals -- and missed a penalty -- as Spain returned to form with a 2-0 victory over Honduras at the World Cup on Monday.
The good times are back, in a measured way, in fun spots across the globe.
European countries begin their campaigns to reach the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa on Saturday.
Spain huffed and puffed, making hard work of their Euro 2016 opener before a late Gerard Pique goal blew away the CzechRepublic resistance -- yet it could not conceal further evidence that Vicente del Bosque's champions may lack a killer instinct.
Spain were caught by surprise by the United States when the European champions lost 2-0 in the Confederations Cup semi-final on Wednesday, said coach Vicente del Bosque.
Striker Alvaro Negredo scored twice and created two more goals to lift European champions Spain to a 5-2 victory over Bosnia on Wednesday and make it 10 wins out of 10 in World Cup qualifying Group Five. Coach Vicente del Bosque gave Negredo his first starting spot in place of Fernando Torres and the Sevilla forward took his chance to impress with two goals in five second-half minutes and assists for David Silva and Juan Mata.
European champions Spain remained top of the world soccer rankings for a fourth straight month on Wednesday after extending their lead over world champions Italy.
England were booed off at halftime against Andorra before grinding out a 2-0 victory as Europe's 2010 World Cup qualifiers began in earnest on Saturday.
Simeone urges Atletico fans to keep violence out of football 'I don't think this (violence) has anything to do with sport and it seems they are using sport to make a greater impact'
Spain, chasing an unprecedented third successive European Championship title and looking forward to facing Germany or Slovakia in the next round, have the upper hand in recent history, having not lost a competitive match against Italy since the 1994 World Cup.
Germany's federal cartel office on Tuesday launched an investigation into the German football association's (DFB) sale of tickets for the national team's matches at Euro 2016.
Confusion reigns over goalkeeper David De Gea's expected transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid after media reported the relevant paperwork was not delivered in time on Spain's deadline day.
Premier League-based trio Diego Costa, Juan Mata and Santi Cazorla were among a high-profile list of absentees when Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque named his provisional 25-man squad for Euro 2016 on Tuesday. Costa injured his hamstring against Liverpool in Chelsea's penultimate game of the season. Atletico Madrid striker Fernando Torres was also absent from the squad despite his improved form towards the end of the season, as were Arsenal midfielder Cazorla and Valencia forward Paco Alcacer, Spain's top scorer in their qualifying campaign.
Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal has announced he will miss next month's Euro 2016 tournament after the 24-year-old Spaniard sustained a muscular injury to his right leg during Saturday's Champions League final.
Barcelona striker Munir El Haddadi continued his dramatic rise in the game as part of a new-look Spain that have set their sights on Euro 2016 following a surprise early exit at this year's World Cup.
World champions Spain held on for a 2-1 win over Haiti in a friendly on Saturday as they warmed up for this month's Confederations Cup.
The former Manchester United assistant manager signed a two-year contract with the Spanish champions on Wednesday.
"I've had talks with Hierro and his representatives over the weekend and he is keen to come to Bolton," Bolton manager Sam Allardyce said.
Florentino Perez has acquired a reputation for being Real Madrid's hero after bringing Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and David Beckham to the club.
Nolito is adamant that he will not allow growing speculation about his club future to become a distraction as he "lives a dream" with Spain at Euro 2016.
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