and meet on Monday in a mouth-watering round-of-16 clash at the , in a repeat of a showdown that took centre stage at the 2010 instalment in South Africa. Spain prevailed 1-0 on that occasion thanks to a solitary David Villa goal before going on to lift the trophy for the first time in their history by overcoming Paraguay, Germany and the Netherlands in subsequent rounds. “Clashes between Spain and Portugal are always filled with intensity because of the proximity between the two countries and how well the teams know each other,” Carlos Marchena told FIFA. Born in Las Cabezas de San Juan in Andalusia in 1979, Marchena won the UEFA European Championship in 2008 and the global showpiece in 2010. With 69 appearances, he remains among Spain’s 25 most-capped players and had already tasted global success by winning the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 1999.
The defender’s earliest FIFA World Cup™ memories date back to Italia 1990. “I remember the disappointment from Spain not getting out of the group stage, but above all I remember being captivated by the World Cup,” he recalled. “We’d watch the matches at home with my dad. That’s when I really started embracing the competition. At that age, it all seemed so far away, almost impossible to reach.
"Then the next minute, you’re suddenly there representing your country and you think, ‘This is off the charts.’ Everything comes flooding back in terms of the passion and memories.” Marchena cemented his place as a Valencia legend by winning two Spanish league titles, the Copa del Rey, the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup before stints at Sevilla, Benfica, Villarreal and Deportivo.
He made his World Cup bow in 2006 in Germany, where Spain impressed by topping their group and took the lead against France in the round of 16 before eventually succumbing to a 3-1 defeat. “We arrived in great shape. We were a young team, but we were ready. France looked as though they were on the decline, yet they still had players with incredible experience, pedigree and above all, outstanding talent. We lost, but I think it was a turning point. That’s where the foundations were laid for everything that followed.” Two years later, Spain lifted their second European crown, 44 years after their first, with Marchena partnering Carles Puyol at the heart of the defence. La Roja arrived in South Africa as reigning European champions and one of the favourites. They kicked off with a surprise defeat to Switzerland, but remained faithful to their style of play, recovered impressively and progressed as group winners. Portugal lay in wait in the round of 16, led by Cristiano Ronaldo off the back of his maiden season at Real Madrid. “We knew it’d be a difficult match because they were such a tough, well-organised and balanced team. It was vital that we stayed solid at the back and avoided mistakes. We had to keep creating chance after chance and stay patient because they were so watertight defensively and gave nothing away.”
Spain started with Iker Casillas; Sergio Ramos, Carles Puyol, Gerard Piqué, Joan Capdevila; Xabi Alonso, Sergio Busquets, Andrés Iniesta, Xavi Hernández, David Villa; and Fernando Torres. Portugal lined up with Eduardo; Ricardo Costa, Ricardo Carvalho, Bruno Alves, Fábio Coentrão; Raul Meireles, Pepe, Pedro Mendes; Simão, Hugo Almeida and Cristiano Ronaldo. “Cristiano was at the peak of his powers and they also had experienced players who’d already enjoyed strong tournaments,” Marchena reflected. The match pivoted with Fernando Llorente’s introduction in the 59th minute. “He was our plan B. He had a fantastic game because he battled with both centre-backs and created space for everyone else. He caused them all sorts of problems. Their rearguard had to focus on him, which opened up space for the rest of us.” Villa bagged the only goal four minutes later, shortly after the Athletic Club striker’s introduction. Marchena came on in the 93rd minute to help preserve Spain’s slender lead. “The aim was to bring experience and leadership, help out defensively and make sure that nothing happened.”
He also appeared as a late substitute in the 1-0 victories over Paraguay in the quarter-finals and Germany in the semi-finals. Having finally broken their quarter-final hoodoo, before they knew it, La Roja had reached their first World Cup final. “At that point, you’re balancing two opposing emotions: responsibility and opportunity. Your mind swings between them and you’re constantly trying to convince yourself that it’s more of an opportunity than a responsibility.” When Andrés Iniesta scored the most important goal in Spain’s history in the 116th minute of the final, Marchena charged off in the opposite direction to the rest of his team-mates. “I was the only one who didn’t run over to Andrés,” he explained 16 years on.
“I sprinted towards the centre circle to keep guard and prevent the Netherlands from restarting quickly. I’m not in any of the celebration photos because I was standing in the centre circle.” He also vividly remembers the emotions after the final whistle. “Your body goes into shock and you can’t quite believe what’s just happened. It’s an overwhelming mix of feelings.” “Over time, you realise that no matter what else you achieve, nothing will ever surpass that triumph or joy,” he concluded as the upcoming showdown between Spain and the Seleção das Quinas draws nearer. “It’s in a league of its own and nothing else comes close. You can win one, five or even ten league titles, but lifting the World Cup with your country trumps everything else. Whenever the tournament comes around, I can’t help but think to myself, ‘I’ve held that trophy.’”
Sources: FIFA Official
