Spain national under-20 football team
National under-20 association football team
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The Spain national under-20 football team represents Spain in international football at this age level and is controlled by Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), the governing body for football in Spain.
Nickname(s)La Rojita (The Little Red One)
La Furia Roja (the red fury)
La Furia Roja (the red fury)
AssociationRoyal Spanish Football Federation
(Real Federación Española de Fútbol – RFEF)
(Real Federación Española de Fútbol – RFEF)
Most capsPablo Couñago
Jaime Gavilán
Francisco Jusué
(13 each)
Jaime Gavilán
Francisco Jusué
(13 each)
| |||
| Nickname(s) | La Rojita (The Little Red One) La Furia Roja (the red fury) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Royal Spanish Football Federation (Real Federación Española de Fútbol – RFEF) | ||
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
| Most caps | Pablo Couñago Jaime Gavilán Francisco Jusué (13 each) | ||
| Top scorer | Adrián (5) | ||
| FIFA code | ESP | ||
| |||
| First international | |||
 Spain 2–1 France  (Radès, Tunisia; 28 June 1977) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
Spain 8–0 Tahiti  (Cairo, Egypt; 25 September 2009) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 Argentina 3–0 Spain (Doha, Qatar; 25 April 1995)  Brazil 3–0 Spain (Montevideo, Uruguay; February 1, 1998) Records for competitive matches only. | |||
| FIFA U-20 World Cup | |||
| Appearances | 16 (first in 1977) | ||
| Best result | Winners (1999) | ||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| U-20 World Cup | ||
 | 1985 Soviet Union | Team |
 | 1999 Nigeria | Team |
| 2003 United Arab Emirates | Team |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| U-20 Mediterranean Games | ||
| 2009 Pescara, Italy | Team |
Competitive Record
FIFA U-20 World Cup
Champions Runners-up Fourth Place
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | D* | L | GS | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 1977 | Group stage | 7th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
 1979 | Quarter-finals | 6th | 4 | 2 | 1* | 1 | 3 | 2 |
 1981 | Group stage | 13th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 7 |
 1983 | Did not qualify | |||||||
 1985 | Runners-up | 2nd | 6 | 2 | 2* | 2 | 8 | 8 |
 1987 | Did not qualify | |||||||
 1989 | Group stage | 15th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
 1991 | Quarter-finals | 7th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 |
| 1993 | Did not qualify | |||||||
 1995 | Fourth place | 4th | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 12 |
 1997 | Quarter-finals | 7th | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 3 |
 1999 | Champions | 1st | 7 | 5 | 2* | 0 | 16 | 5 |
| 2001 | Did not qualify | |||||||
 2003 | Runners-up | 2nd | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 4 |
 2005 | Quarter-finals | 7th | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 4 |
 2007 | Quarter-finals | 5th | 5 | 3 | 2* | 0 | 13 | 8 |
 2009 | Round of 16 | 11th | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 3 |
 2011 | Quarter-finals | 5th | 5 | 3 | 2* | 0 | 13 | 4 |
 2013 | Quarter-finals | 6th | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 4 |
 2015 | Did not qualify | |||||||
 2017 | ||||||||
 2019 | ||||||||
| 2023 | ||||||||
| 2025 | Quarter-finals | 8th | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 7 |
  2027 | To be determined | |||||||
| Total | 1 title | 16/24 | 77 | 45 | 14 | 18 | 156 | 84 |
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
| Spain's U-20 World Cup matches | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Score | Result |
| 1977 | Group stage |  Spain 2–1 France | Won |
| Group stage | Spain 1–1 Mexico | Draw | |
| Group stage | Spain 0–1 Tunisia | Lost | |
| 1979 | Group stage | Spain 1–0 Japan | Won |
| Group stage | Spain 2–1 Mexico | Won | |
| Group stage | Spain 0–1  Algeria | Lost | |
| Quarter-finals | Spain 0–0  Poland | Draw | |
| 1981 | Group stage | Spain 2–2 Egypt | Draw |
| Group stage | Spain 1–1 Mexico | Draw | |
| Group stage | Spain 2–4  West Germany | Lost | |
| 1985 | Group stage | Spain 0–0 Saudi Arabia | Draw |
| Group stage | Spain 0–2  Brazil | Lost | |
| Group stage | Spain 4–2  Republic of Ireland | Won | |
| Quarter-finals | Spain 2–1  Bulgaria | Won | |
| Semi-finals | Spain 2–2 Soviet Union | Draw | |
| Final | Spain 0–1 Brazil | Lost | |
| 1989 | Group stage | Spain 2–1 Argentina | Won |
| Group stage | Spain 0–2  Iraq | Lost | |
| Group stage | Spain 2–4  Norway | Lost | |
| 1991 | Group stage | Spain 1–0  England | Won |
| Group stage | Spain 6–0  Uruguay | Won | |
| Group stage | Spain 0–0  Syria | Draw | |
| Quarter-finals | Spain 1–3 Soviet Union | Lost | |
| 1995 | Group stage | Spain 5–1  Burundi | Won |
| Group stage | Spain 2–1  Japan | Won | |
| Group stage | Spain 6–3 Chile | Won | |
| Quarter-finals | Spain 4–1  Russia | Won | |
| Semi-finals | Spain 0–3 Argentina | Lost | |
| Third Place Match | Spain 2–3 Portugal | Lost | |
| 1997 | Group stage | Spain 2–1 Japan | Won |
| Group stage | Spain 2–1  Paraguay | Won | |
| Group stage | Spain 4–0  Costa Rica | Won | |
| Round of 16 | Spain 2–0 Canada | Won | |
| Quarter-finals | Spain 0–1 Republic of Ireland | Lost | |
| 1999 | Group stage | Spain 0–0  Zambia | Draw |
| Group stage | Spain 2–0 Brazil | Won | |
| Group stage | Spain 3–1  Honduras | Won | |
| Round of 16 | Spain 3–2  United States | Won | |
| Quarter-finals | Spain 1–1  Ghana | Draw | |
| Semi-finals | Spain 3–1  Mali | Won | |
| Final | Spain 4–0 Japan | Won | |
| 2003 | Group stage | Spain 1–2 Argentina | Lost |
| Group stage | Spain 2–0 Mali | Won | |
| Group stage | Spain 1–0 Uzbekistan | Won | |
| Round of 16 | Spain 1–0 Paraguay | Won | |
| Quarter-finals | Spain 2–1 Canada | Won | |
| Semi-finals | Spain 1–0 Colombia | Won | |
| Final | Spain 0–1 Brazil | Lost | |
| 2005 | Group stage | Spain 3–1  Morocco | Won |
| Group stage | Spain 7–0 Chile | Won | |
| Group stage | Spain 3–0 Honduras | Won | |
| Round of 16 | Spain 3–0 Turkey | Won | |
| Quarter-finals | Spain 1–3 Argentina | Lost | |
| 2007 | Group stage | Spain 2–2 Uruguay | Draw |
| Group stage | Spain 2–1 Zambia | Won | |
| Group stage | Spain 4–2  Jordan | Won | |
| Round of 16 | Spain 4–2 Brazil | Won | |
| Quarter-finals | Spain 1–1  Czech Republic | Draw | |
| 2009 | Group stage | Spain 8–0 Tahiti | Won |
| Group stage | Spain 2–0 Nigeria | Won | |
| Group stage | Spain 3–0  Venezuela | Won | |
| Round of 16 | Spain 1–3  Italy | Lost | |
| 2011 | Group stage | Spain 4–1 Costa Rica | Won |
| Group stage | Spain 2–0  Ecuador | Won | |
| Group stage | Spain 5–1 Australia | Won | |
| Round of 16 | Spain 0–0 South Korea | Draw | |
| Quarter-finals | Spain 2–2 Brazil | Draw | |
| 2013 | Group stage | Spain 4–1 United States | Won |
| Group stage | Spain 1–0 Ghana | Won | |
| Group stage | Spain 2–1 France | Won | |
| Round of 16 | Spain 2–1 Mexico | Won | |
| Quarter-finals | Spain 0–1 Uruguay | Lost | |
| 2025 | Group stage | Spain 0–2 Morocco | Lost |
| Group stage | Spain 2–2 Mexico | Draw | |
| Group stage | Spain 1–0 Brazil | Won | |
| Round of 16 | |||
Mediterranean Games
| Mediterranean Games record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA |
 1991 |
did not enter | |||||||
| 1993 | ||||||||
| 1997 |
Fourth place | 4th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
 2001 |
did not qualify | |||||||
| 2005 |
See Spain national under-23 football team | |||||||
| 2009 |
Gold medalists | 1st | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 4 |
| 2013 |
did not enter | |||||||
| 2018 |
See Spain national under-18 football team | |||||||
| Total | 1 Gold medal | 2/6 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 8 |
Individual awards
In addition to team victories, Spanish players have won individual awards at FIFA World Youth Cups.
| Year | Golden Boot |
|---|---|
| 1985 |
Sebastián Losada Fernando Gómez |
| 1995 |
Joseba Etxeberria |
| 1999 |
Pablo Couñago |
Player records
Top appearances
| Rank | Player | Club(s) | Year(s) | U-20 Caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pablo Couñago | Celta Vigo, Numancia | 1998–1999 | 13 |
| Jaime Gavilán | Valencia, Tenerife | 2003–2005 | 13 | |
| Francisco Jusué | Osasuna | 1998–1999 | 13 | |
| 4 | Pablo Orbaiz | Osasuna | 1998–1999 | 12 |
| Israel Puerto | Sevilla | 2012–2013 | 12 | |
| Rubén Suárez | Sporting Gijón | 1998–1999 | 12 | |
| 7 | Sergio García | Barcelona | 2003 | 11 |
| Aarón | Rangers, Celta Vigo | 2009 | 11 | |
| Dani Parejo | Real Madrid, Getafe | 2009 | 11 | |
| Carlos Peña | Barcelona | 2003 | 11 | |
| Juanfran | Real Madrid | 2003–2005 | 11 |
Note: Club(s) represents the permanent clubs during the player's time in the Under-20s.
Top goalscorers
| Rank | Player | Club(s) | Year(s) | U-20 Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adrián | Deportivo | 2007 | 10 |
| Joseba Etxeberria | Real Sociedad | 1995 | 7 | |
| Sergio García | Barcelona | 2003 | 7 | |
| Aarón | Rangers, Celta Vigo | 2009 | 7 | |
| 5 | Pablo Couñago | Celta Vigo, Numancia | 1998–1999 | 6 |
| 6 | Fernando Llorente | Athletic Bilbao | 2005 | 5 |
| Jesé | Real Madrid | 2013 | 5 | |
| Álvaro Vázquez | Espanyol | 2011 | 5 | |
| 9 | Emilio Nsue | Castellón, Real Sociedad | 2009 | 4 |
| David Silva | Eibar | 2005 | 4 | |
| Ismael Urzaiz | Real Madrid | 1989–1991 | 4 | |
Note: Club(s) represents the permanent clubs during the player's time in the Under-20s.
Current squad
The following players were called up for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup, between 27 September – 19 October 2025.[1]
Caps and goals correct as of 11 October 2025, after the match against Colombia.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Fran González | 24 June 2005 | 5 | 0 | Real Madrid |
| 13 | GK | Raúl Jiménez | 16 February 2006 | 1 | 0 | Valencia |
| 21 | GK | Vicent Abril | 15 February 2005 | 1 | 0 | Valencia |
| 2 | DF | Pau Navarro | 25 April 2005 | 5 | 0 | Villarreal |
| 3 | DF | Julio Díaz | 10 January 2005 | 7 | 0 | Atlético Madrid |
| 4 | DF | Álvaro Cortés | 17 March 2005 | 3 | 0 | Barcelona |
| 5 | DF | Andrés Cuenca | 11 June 2007 | 7 | 0 | Barcelona |
| 16 | DF | Jesús Fortea | 26 March 2007 | 5 | 0 | Real Madrid |
| 20 | DF | Diego Aguado | 7 February 2007 | 3 | 0 | Real Madrid |
| 6 | MF | Izan Merino | 15 April 2006 | 4 | 0 | Málaga |
| 7 | MF | Rayane Belaid | 11 February 2005 | 7 | 1 | Atlético Madrid |
| 8 | MF | Rodri Mendoza | 15 March 2005 | 6 | 0 | Elche |
| 12 | MF | Thiago Pitarch | 3 August 2007 | 6 | 0 | Real Madrid |
| 15 | MF | Cristian Perea | 17 August 2005 | 4 | 0 | Real Madrid |
| 18 | MF | Peio Canales | 17 January 2005 | 3 | 0 | Racing Santander |
| 9 | FW | Adrián Liso | 2 April 2005 | 6 | 0 | Getafe |
| 10 | FW | Iker Bravo | 13 January 2005 | 5 | 2 | Udinese |
| 11 | FW | David Mella | 23 May 2005 | 7 | 0 | Deportivo La Coruña |
| 14 | FW | Joel Roca | 7 June 2005 | 3 | 0 | Girona |
| 17 | FW | Pablo García | 13 June 2006 | 5 | 2 | Real Betis |
| 19 | FW | Jan Virgili | 26 July 2006 | 7 | 1 | Mallorca |
Head-to-head record
The following table shows Spain's head-to-head record in the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
| Opponent | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algeria |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 0.00 |
| Argentina |
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 9 | −5 | 25.00 |
| Australia |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 100.00 |
| Brazil |
7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 8 | +1 | 42.86 |
| Bulgaria |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 100.00 |
| Burundi |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 100.00 |
| Canada |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 100.00 |
| Colombia |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 100.00 |
| Costa Rica |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | +7 | 100.00 |
| Chile |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 3 | +10 | 100.00 |
| Czech Republic |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +0 | 0.00 |
| Ecuador |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 100.00 |
| Egypt |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | +0 | 0.00 |
| England |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 100.00 |
 France |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 100.00 |
| Ghana |
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 50.00 |
| Honduras |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 100.00 |
 Iraq |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | −2 | 0.00 |
| Italy |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 0.00 |
| Japan |
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | +7 | 100.00 |
| Jordan |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 100.00 |
| Mali |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 100.00 |
| Mexico |
5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 40.00 |
| Morocco |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | +0 | 50.00 |
| Nigeria |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 100.00 |
| Norway |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 0.00 |
 Paraguay |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 100.00 |
| Poland |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | 0.00 |
| Portugal |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 0.00 |
| Republic of Ireland |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 50.00 |
| Russia |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 100.00 |
| Saudi Arabia |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | 0.00 |
| South Korea |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | 0.00 |
| Soviet Union |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 0.00 |
| Syria |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | 0.00 |
| Tahiti |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | +8 | 100.00 |
| Tunisia |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 0.00 |
| Turkey |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 100.00 |
| United States |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 100.00 |
| Uruguay |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 | +5 | 33.33 |
| Uzbekistan |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 100.00 |
| Venezuela |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 100.00 |
| West Germany |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 0.00 |
| Zambia |
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 50.00 |
| Total | 75 | 44 | 14 | 17 | 153 | 81 | +72 | 58.67 |
Honours
Titles
Former squads
- 2013 FIFA under-20 World Cup squads – Spain
- 2011 FIFA under-20 World Cup squads – Spain
- 2009 FIFA under-20 World Cup squads – Spain
- 2007 FIFA under-20 World Cup squads – Spain
- 2005 FIFA under-20 World Cup squads – Spain
- 2003 FIFA under-20 World Cup squads – Spain
- 1999 FIFA under-20 World Cup squads – Spain
- 1997 FIFA under-20 World Cup squads – Spain
- 1995 FIFA under-20 World Cup squads – Spain
- 1991 FIFA under-20 World Cup squads – Spain
- 1989 FIFA under-20 World Cup squads – Spain
- 1985 FIFA under-20 World Cup squads – Spain
- 1981 FIFA under-20 World Cup squads – Spain
- 1979 FIFA under-20 World Cup squads – Spain
- 1977 FIFA under-20 World Cup squads – Spain
See also
- Spain national football team
- Spain national under-23 football team
- Spain national under-21 football team
- Spain national under-19 football team
- Spain national under-18 football team
- Spain national under-17 football team
- Spain national under-16 football team
- Spain national under-15 football team
- Spain national youth football team