For the 20th time, the word is blessed with yet another month of one of the most exciting display in all of sports, the FIFA World Cup. In the summer of 2014, 32 teams will compete for the greatest glory in football set in the biggest stage of them all. La Roja, the Spanish National team, will enter the tournament as the defending champions and they take great pride in doing it.
"Who would have thought a few years ago!" Vicente Del Bosque exclaimed in interview posted on FIFA.com. "They've been the fathers of soccer and it's an honor for us to go (there) and defend the world championship title," Spain's manager added.
But really, who have thought that Spain would win the 2010 world cup tournament? And who would have thought that they would be champions of Europe twice in a row in a time where Christiano Ronaldo and Leonel Messi are making their legendary marks in football? But it has always been the case. Even in this year's world cup, Spain is barely mentioned as one of the top favorites to win the tournament -overshadowed by Germany, Argentina, and Brazil.
But Spain isn't just heading to Brazil this summer to defend their World Cup title and become the first European team to defend their crown succesfully in a series staged in Latin America. Nor will they be playing to silence their critics and naysayers. They are heading to the 2014 FIFA world cup with a chance to make history.
After three consecutive key victories that started in their victory at the 2008 European Championship Finals, La Roja may as well be able to reach the pinnacle of football's pantheon and establish themselves as the greatest generation in football history with another World Cup title.
Spain, of course, is facing immense odds. But if they manage to pull off a victory and hoist this year's world cup trophy, they will truly be able to ascend as one of football's all time greats.
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