Spain
national team

By the summer of Euro 2008 Spain was in the best form in a decade. Aragones had finalised the style that would later be called tiki-taka: quick short passes in midfield, high pressure, constant movement off the ball. Xavi, Iniesta, Senna, Casillas were all at peak. Torres led the attack in partnership with David Villa, which would be the best Spanish forward pair of the decade.

Spain beat Russia 4-1 in the group (Torres scored), Sweden 2-1, Greece 2-1. In the quarterfinal they beat Italy on penalties (0-0, 4-2). In the semi they defeated Russia 3-0. The final on June 29 in Vienna at Ernst Happel against Germany. In the 33rd Xavi delivered a long ball toward the Lehmann box. Torres, who had been running toward midfield, turned, took the ball on his chest, beat Philipp Lahm and dinked it over Lehmann. 1-0. The match ended there. First trophy of the national team in 44 years.

After the final whistle Torres did not run to his teammates. He sat down on the grass and sat there a long time, looking at the stars over Vienna. Spanish sports journalist Jose Ramon de la Morena would later say: It was not a celebration. It was forgiveness for 44 years of waiting. Torres received an individual award, selection in the UEFA Team of the Tournament. Three goals at the tournament, the most important the winner in the final.

Torres arrived in South Africa after a serious knee injury in April. He had surgery to remove part of the meniscus, had not reached form, but Vicente del Bosque included him in the squad. All the tournament he played second fiddle to David Villa and Fernando Llorente, coming on as a substitute. In the final on July 11 in Johannesburg against the Netherlands, Torres came on in the 59th, replacing David Villa. Iniesta scored in the 116th. Spain became world champion for the first time in history.

At the press conference Torres spoke briefly: I lifted the World Cup thinking about those who did not get here. About those who dreamt of this in 1982, when we had the best squad and did not win. This team is simply stronger than all the previous ones. Torres did not score a single goal at that tournament, the first time at a major tournament. But instead of being a symbol of disappointment he became a symbol of collective: This win was brought by the team, not by any one of us.

Back home Spain was received by a million-strong crowd in central Madrid. Torres, with the World Cup in his hands, walked through the streets of Fuenlabrada, his own district, without security. Half an hour in he had to escape to a car from the crowd. The next day Marca ran the headline: Fuenla lifts the World Champion.

By summer 2012 Spain arrived as reigning Euro champion and world champion. This was already a unique squad, no nation had assembled anything like it in the twenty-first century. Xavi, Iniesta, Casillas, Pique, Sergio Ramos, Fabregas, Silva, Torres, Villa (injured, did not play). Coach: Vicente del Bosque. Tactics the same: short passes, high press.

Group stage: Italy 1-1, Ireland 4-0 (Torres two goals), Croatia 1-0 (Jesus Navas scored the winner). In the quarterfinal Spain beat France 2-0. In the semi they beat Portugal on penalties (0-0, 4-2). In the final on July 1, 2012 in Kyiv at NSC Olimpiyskyi against Italy. Spain started without a forward, Fabregas as a false nine. Italy was tired after a 120-minute quarterfinal against England, and by half-time it was 2-0 off Silva and Jordi Alba.

In the 75th Torres came on, replacing Fabregas. Nine minutes later he scored the fourth, Xavi gave the pass, Torres rounded Buffon from outside the box and finished into an empty net. A minute later he set up Juan Mata for 4-0. The best Euro final in history by goal difference. Spain the first team to win three major tournaments in a row.

Torres shared the tournament Golden Boot with Mario Mandzukic, Mario Gomez, Alan Dzagoev, and Mario Balotelli, three goals each. Torres had the fewest minutes played (189), so the Golden Boot went to him. The only footballer in history to score in two consecutive Euro finals. A record that still stands.

A year later, in summer 2013, Spain played the Confederations Cup in Brazil, a warm-up for the 2014 World Cup. Torres played his last major tournament here, scored four goals including a hat trick against Tahiti (10-0). In the final at Maracana Spain lost to the hosts 0-3, the first serious and the first tangible defeat. The end of an era. Torres took the Golden Boot of the tournament on secondary tiebreakers (Neymar had the same number of goals but fewer assists).

The 2014 World Cup in Brazil was the worst in the history of reigning world champions: Spain lost the first two matches (Netherlands 1-5, Chile 0-2) and were eliminated at the group stage. Torres played only one match, against Australia in the final group round (3-0, he scored). After the tournament del Bosque never called him up again. The last Torres match for Spain was June 23, 2014 against Australia. 110 caps, 38 goals, end of an era.