For La Roja, the 2018 World Cup represents an opportunity for one of the legends of the game to say goodbye. The man who won Spain their first and only World Cup in 2010, Andres Iniesta, will retire from international football after the competition. Probably greatest Spaniard to ever kick a ball, Iniesta's presence in the Spain team is not just a sentimental one. He remained a constant starter for a Barcelona team that lost only once in the league, comfortably winning another La Liga title, Iniesta's 9th with the Catalan giants. Iniesta was also ever-present in Spain's qualification run and is expected to start in Russia. To still be starting in Spain's uber-competitive midfield is a testament to the great man's longevity and unrivalled class. 

The players that would line up next to Iniesta are all highly capable ball handlers. David Silva recently became a Premier League Champion for the third time. His performances saw him feature on the PFA Team of the Season for just the second time of his career. Manchester United's David De Gea won the Premier League Golden Glove for the first time since his move to England. De Gea was also named the Manchester United Player of the Season for the 4th time in the last 5 years, an astonishing feat for a goalkeeper. The Atletico Madrid contingent of Koke, Saul and Diego Costa finished as Europa League Champions and a respectable second place behind champions FC Barcelona in the league. The Brazilain-born Diego Costa might be given another chance to show that he can be Spain's centre-forward after an atrocious showing in 2014 that saw the then champions crash out of the group stage. Costa's 5 goals in 5 games during the qualifiers shows that he is finding his scoring boots for the national team. Zinedine Zidane has effectively used Lucas Vazquez, Marco Asensio and Isco at club level and they all have managed to perform well when needed for Spain. Isco, in particular, has been excellent in the red of Spain with several breakout performances. His double against four-time World Champions Italy during the qualifiers and his hattrick in a March friendly against Argentina are just examples of what the 4-time Champions League winner can do. 

In front of the De Gea, he will have a superb quartet of Barcelona and Real Madrid defenders. Team Captain Sergio Ramos will have his trusted partner Gerad Pique alongside him with Jordi Alba and Dani Carvajal completing a defence of the highest calibre. The always sure Sergio Busquets will per usual provide the link between this defence and the attack as Spain will look to keep the ball and frustrate their opponents. It seems the only thing that can affect the Spanish is the dismissal of coach Lopetegui on the eve of the tournament.

Head Coach: Julen Lopetegui

Population: 46 million

Appearances: 15

Best: Winners 2010

How they Qualified: A 1-1 draw against Italy was Spain's only dropped points of qualification ensuring a smooth ride to Russia. Spain dominated their opposition as expected and saw off their only real competition in Italy rather easily evidenced by a 3-0 home win which virtually sealed qualification. 

Star Players: Andres Iniesta(Barcelona), David Silva(Manchester City), Sergio Ramos(Real Madrid), Gerard Pique(Barcelona), David De Gea(Manchester United)

Wildcard: Diego Costa- The hot-tempered Costa will be fresh for the Summer event after only returning to Atletico in January. Costa is always at thorn for any opponent and has started scoring goals for Spain. His temperament is a risk however as he is sometimes a red card waiting to happen. Once Costa can stay focused he can be the centre-forward the Spain team needs. The omission of Alvaro Morato suggests that Lopetegui is putting his faith in Costa once again for a World Cup. 

Legend:Iker Casillas