After making history with a second triumph, Spain are now chasing a first crown.
La Rojita have finished runners-up four times, in 1991, 2003, 2007 and 2017, with Ferran Torres and Eric Garcia featuring in the squad for the latter campaign. Having also claimed third place in 1997 and 2009, they will now head to Qatar determined to bring home the trophy.
Spain announced themselves on the U-17 World Cup stage by finishing runners-up in 1991. Dani Garcia Lara, who was born on the outskirts of Barcelona, netted the nation’s first-ever goal at the tournament. He recalled the anxious wait to see whether he would make the squad and the excitement when he finally heard the news.
“We were just kids, but we knew it was a World Cup, which is something special,” reflected the 51-year-old, who emerged as one of the best-known players from that team. The former frontman went on to enjoy a distinguished career with clubs including Real Madrid, Real Zaragoza, Mallorca, Barcelona, Espanyol and Olympiacos, earning five senior caps for La Roja along the way.
Garcia Lara proved the match-winner in the opener against fellow debutants Uruguay. Introduced from the bench in the 63rd minute, he scored the only goal of the game just 60 seconds later.
“To be honest, I don’t recall much about the goal after all these years,” he admitted with a smile. “I do remember the excitement and the rush to get back to the hotel so I could call my parents to tell them I’d scored. There were no mobile phones back then, so the only way to call home was from the hotel.”
Spain headed into the tournament as the newly anointed UEFA European U-16 champions. They topped their group after beating Cuba 7-2 and drawing with Ghana before defeating Germany 3-1 in the quarter-finals and Argentina 1-0 in the semi-finals. The South Americans’ squad featured several future stars, including Marcelo Gallardo and Juan Sebastian Veron.
The final took place at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in Florence, with Ghana edging a 1-0 victory.
“Despite the narrow scoreline, I don’t think we ever really had a chance,” added the former Real Madrid and Barcelona man. “They were much stronger than us. Before the match, the coach told us African football was going to become a major force.”
Garcia Lara believes that tournaments such as the are vital to a player’s development and notes that they have grown enormously in every respect over the years. “In our day, these tournaments didn’t receive anything like the visibility or attention they do now. Lots of people didn’t even know we were playing because youth football wasn’t nearly as popular. If you win or finish runners-up in a major European or world youth tournament these days, everyone knows about it and you get an incredible welcome home.”
He also hails the transformation that has undergone over the past two decades, which has brought it “admiration” and “global recognition”. The senior men’s team are the reigning world and European champions, while became the first nation in history to hold both the men’s and women’s FIFA World Cup crowns simultaneously.
“Spain always enjoyed considerable success at youth level, but the senior team struggled to build on those results. Something was missing. The foundations had been laid in the younger age groups, but when we reached the top level, there was a mental block. We had outstanding generations of players – genuine legends – yet the senior team kept going out in the round of 16 or the quarter-finals. EURO 2008 was the turning point because it finally allowed us to shake off that burden.”
The former Spain international is convinced that triumph broke down a “mental barrier”, giving both the players and the country the belief that they could succeed on the biggest stage.
“What Spain used to accomplish at youth level is now also being replicated with the senior team. It’s been more of a psychological shift than a footballing one because the talent has always been there. In the past, players went into major tournaments thinking, ‘Let’s hope we don’t get knocked out.’ Now they think, ‘We’re going to win it.’”
Sources: FIFA Official
