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Spain’s tumultuous road to the World Cup final, explained

Spain is in the World Cup final for the first time, which may come as a surprise to those aware of the team’s tumultuous recent history. Here’s a timeline of the events that led up to Spain’s World Cup run.

Candace Buckner: With a messy past and murky future, Spain charges into World Cup final

April 2022

In a scene filmed for a Spanish documentary series, star midfielder Alexia Putellas — a two-time winner of the Ballon d’Or Féminin, given to Europe’s best female club player — expresses her concern with the way the Spanish women’s national team is treated by the country’s soccer federation when compared with how the highly decorated men’s team is treated, bringing up “small details” such as the comparative quality of the transportation and lodging given to the women at international tournaments.