Spain Are 43 Competitive Matches Unbeaten: Inside a Remarkable Run

Spain's unbeaten run reaches 43 matches

Spain have extended one of international football’s most impressive current runs to 43 competitive matches without defeat. The latest result came in Split on 6 October, where Luis de la Fuente’s side recovered from a goal down to beat Croatia 2-1 and secure qualification for the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals with two group matches still to play. Spain had already reached 42 competitive matches unbeaten with their 3-1 victory over Czechia three days earlier. The comeback in Croatia moved the run to 43 and maintained a perfect start to the current Nations League campaign.

Merino turns the match around in Split

For much of the night in Split, Spain’s unbeaten sequence looked under genuine pressure. Croatia took the lead through Ivan Perišić in the first half and carried the greater threat before the break. De la Fuente responded at half-time by introducing Mikel Merino, and the change transformed the match. Merino equalised in the 61st minute before scoring again late in the second half to complete the comeback and give Spain a 2-1 victory. It was a different type of win from many of Spain’s more controlled performances: this time they had to recover from behind, absorb difficult periods and find a way to preserve the run away from home.

A perfect Nations League start

Spain’s unbeaten run has been accompanied by a perfect start to the 2026/27 Nations League. They opened with a 3-2 away victory over England, followed that with a 4-1 home win against Croatia and then beat Czechia 3-1 in Oviedo. The return fixture in Croatia completed four wins from four. That sequence has produced 12 points, 12 goals scored and four conceded, leaving Spain three points clear of England at the top of League A Group 3. More importantly, qualification for the quarter-finals is already secure.

Why Spain's 43-match run matters

An unbeaten sequence of this length is significant because it has survived different competitions, different match situations and sustained expectations at the highest level. Spain are no longer simply a team building towards a major tournament. They are the reigning European and world champions, meaning opponents approach them as the benchmark rather than an emerging challenger. The Croatia victory illustrated another dimension of the run. Spain were behind away from home, had struggled to impose themselves during the first half and still found a route back into the match. Long unbeaten runs are rarely built exclusively on dominant performances. Their durability is often revealed on the nights when the leading team does not control everything.

Spain have already booked their quarter-final place

With 12 points from their first four matches, Spain have already secured their place in the Nations League quarter-finals. They have two league-phase fixtures remaining: away to Czechia on 12 November and at home to England on 15 November. Those matches therefore carry a different type of pressure. Qualification is no longer the immediate objective, but Spain still have first place in the group and their unbeaten sequence to protect. The meeting with England in Madrid could be particularly significant. Spain won the reverse fixture 3-2 in September, and England remain their closest challenger in Group A3.

When could Spain's unbeaten run end?

There is no obvious endpoint to Spain’s run, but the next international window will provide another test. A trip to Czechia comes first before England visit Madrid for the final group match. Beyond that, Spain will enter the Nations League knockout rounds in March as one of the teams to beat. For now, 43 competitive matches without defeat is the relevant benchmark. Every additional result extends a sequence that has already continued through major tournaments, qualifying campaigns and another Nations League cycle — while Spain have moved from European champions to world champions without losing a competitive international.