¡Vamos España! Learn English with the World Cup
A football-themed English lesson for learners in Spain — updated for the Round of 32.
Spain finish top of Group H
La Roja went unbeaten through the group stage — a goalless draw with Cape Verde, a 4-0 thrashing of Saudi Arabia, and a hard-fought 1-0 win over Uruguay — to finish first in Group H. They now head into the Round of 32 to face Austria on 2 July. It's the perfect moment to bring the World Cup into your English class or your own self-study — real news, real vocabulary, real grammar, all in one place.
(España terminó primera en el Grupo H sin perder ningún partido. Aprovecha la fase de octavos para aprender vocabulario de fútbol, repasar tiempos verbales y conocer a las estrellas del torneo — todo en inglés.)
The Scoreboard of History
Spain are no strangers to the World Cup stage. Here's the story in five matches that changed everything.
Meet the stars of the tournament
Use these player profiles for vocabulary practice, reading comprehension, or as discussion prompts. Each card gives a stat line your students can ask about ("How many goals has he scored?") and a short bio in plain English.
🇪🇸 Spain
🌍 Golden Boot race — other countries
*Stats current after the group stage (through 27 June 2026). Golden Boot standings will keep changing through the knockout rounds.
Reading, vocabulary & grammar by level
Reading
Spain is playing in the FIFA World Cup 2026! This is an important year because the World Cup is in three countries: the USA, Mexico and Canada. It is also the first time that 48 teams play in the tournament.
Spain first played in the World Cup in 1934, almost 100 years ago. They lost to Italy in the quarter-finals. Spain didn't win the World Cup until 2010, in South Africa. In the final, Andrés Iniesta scored a goal against the Netherlands, and Spain won 1-0. It was their first — and only — World Cup title.
This year, Spain is in Group H with Uruguay, Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde. On 21 June, Spain played against Saudi Arabia in Atlanta. The result was 4-0! Next, they play Uruguay on 27 June. Spain's coach is Luis de la Fuente, and the team is also the European champion because they won Euro 2024. Many people think Spain can win the World Cup again this year.
Key Vocabulary
Exercise 1 · True or False
- The 2026 World Cup is in one country.
- Spain played in the World Cup for the first time in 1934.
- Spain won the World Cup in 1934.
- Spain won the World Cup in 2010.
- Spain lost against Saudi Arabia 4-0.
Show answers
Exercise 2 · Match the word to its meaning
Match 1–5 with a–e.
1. tournament 2. champion 3. quarter-final 4. coach 5. result
a. the person who trains the team b. the final score c. a competition with many matches d. the winner e. one of the last eight matches
Show answers
Talk about it
- Do you like football? Why or why not?
- What is your favourite football team?
- Look at the Player Spotlight above. Who is the youngest player? How old is he?
Reading
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is being held across three countries — the United States, Mexico and Canada — is the first World Cup to be co-hosted by three nations, and the first to feature 48 teams instead of the usual 32.
Spain made their World Cup debut back in 1934, when they were knocked out by hosts Italy in a dramatic quarter-final replay. It would take another 76 years before La Roja finally lifted the trophy, beating the Netherlands 1-0 in the 2010 final thanks to a stunning extra-time strike from Andrés Iniesta — a goal still remembered as one of the most important in Spanish football history.
Drawn into Group H alongside Uruguay, Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde, Spain opened the tournament with a goalless draw before producing a commanding 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in Atlanta on 21 June. Having already been crowned European champions at Euro 2024 under coach Luis de la Fuente, Spain are now being tipped by many pundits as genuine favourites to add a second World Cup title before they face Uruguay on 27 June.
Key Vocabulary
Exercise 1 · Open Cloze (one word per gap)
The 2026 World Cup is being (1) across three countries for the first (2) in history. Spain made their debut (3) 1934, but they had to wait (4) 2010 to win the trophy. After a goalless draw (5) Cape Verde, Spain beat Saudi Arabia 4-0, which has done little (6) dampen expectations ahead of their next match against Uruguay.
Show answers
Exercise 2 · Multiple Choice
- How many teams are playing in the 2026 World Cup?
a) 32 b) 40 c) 48 d) 24 - Who scored the winning goal in the 2010 final?
a) David Villa b) Andrés Iniesta c) Fernando Torres d) Xavi - What was the score between Spain and Saudi Arabia?
a) 1-0 b) 2-0 c) 4-0 d) 3-1 - Which team does Spain still have to play in the group stage?
a) Cape Verde b) Italy c) Uruguay d) Brazil
Show answers
Talk about it
- Why do you think football is so popular in Spain?
- What makes a "commanding victory" different from a lucky win?
- Compare two players from the Player Spotlight section. Who do you think will win the Golden Boot, and why?
Reading
Few sporting spectacles capture the public imagination quite like the FIFA World Cup, and the 2026 edition — sprawling across the United States, Mexico and Canada, and swollen to an unprecedented 48 teams — has already proven no exception.
Spain's relationship with the tournament has long been one of unfulfilled promise punctuated by fleeting brilliance. Their inaugural campaign in 1934 ended in heartbreak, eliminated by the host nation in a bruising replay that has gone down in football folklore as the Battle of Florence. It was not until 2010, when Andrés Iniesta's extra-time winner sealed a narrow victory over the Netherlands, that La Roja finally banished the underachiever tag and were crowned world champions for the first and, to date, only time.
Sixteen years on, Spain arrive in North America as reigning European champions, having swept to Euro 2024 glory under Luis de la Fuente, and are widely regarded among the favourites to go all the way. A routine 4-0 demolition of Saudi Arabia in Atlanta on 21 June — following an underwhelming goalless draw with Cape Verde — has done little to dampen that optimism. Group H now hinges on a decisive meeting with Uruguay on 27 June, with a place in the knockout stages well within reach.
Key Vocabulary
Exercise 1 · Word Formation
- Spain's 2010 victory remains one of the most ______ (SIGNIFY) moments in the country's footballing history.
- The 1934 quarter-final is remembered for its ______ (BRUISE) physicality.
- Few teams have shown such ______ (CONSIST) at major tournaments.
- Pundits have been quick to offer their ______ (PREDICT) for the rest of the tournament.
- Spain's ______ (DOMINATE) performance against Saudi Arabia silenced their critics.
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Exercise 2 · Key Word Transformation
Complete the second sentence using the word given, so that it means the same as the first. Use between three and six words.
- Andrés Iniesta scored the goal that won Spain the World Cup. RESPONSIBLE
Andrés Iniesta ______________ the goal that won Spain the World Cup. - Nobody expected Spain to beat Saudi Arabia so convincingly. TOOK
Spain's convincing win over Saudi Arabia ______________ by surprise. - Spain's win over Saudi Arabia made their qualification more likely. CHANCES
Spain's win over Saudi Arabia ______________ of qualifying for the next round. - It is possible that Spain will win the World Cup again. COULD
Spain ______________ the World Cup again. - Despite losing in 1934, Spain's fans supported the team enthusiastically. SPITE
______________ losing in 1934, Spain's fans supported the team enthusiastically.
Show answers
Talk about it
- To what extent does international sporting success shape national identity?
- Is it fair to call a single generation of players "the underachiever tag"? Why do teams get labelled this way?
- Drawing on the Player Spotlight profiles, what qualities separate a "prodigy" like Yamal from a "veteran" like Messi? Does experience outweigh raw talent at this level?
Design Your Own Match Ball ⚽
Colour it, name it, make it yours!
(Colorea tu balón y escribe palabras en inglés — ¡como un verdadero jugador del Mundial!)
How to play
- Colour each panel of the ball a different colour. Say the colour in English while you paint!
- Write one English word inside each panel — choose from the word bank below.
- Draw your country's flag in the small box.
- Give your ball a team name and write it on the line.
- Show a friend your ball and say: "This is my ball. It is..."
Colour each panel. Write a word from the word bank inside it.