Spain midfielder Fabian Ruiz has declared that La Roja are hungry to maintain their international dominance as they prepare to kick off their UEFA Nations League campaign against England at Wembley Stadium.

The showdown with Thomas Tuchel's England side marks Spain's first fixture since securing the World Cup title over Argentina in July. The victory saw Spain repeat their golden era between 2008 and 2012 by holding both the World Cup and European Championship crowns simultaneously.

Spain currently boast an extraordinary 38-match unbeaten streak across all competitions (29 wins, nine draws)—the longest undefeated run ever recorded by a European nation.

'The Hardest Thing in Football Is Winning Again'

Despite their trophy-laden stretch under Luis de la Fuente, Ruiz is adamant that the squad cannot afford any complacency if they want to secure further silverware.

"The manager has already told us that the past is forgotten; it's history, and that's wonderful, but now it's time to focus on the present," Ruiz told Spanish outlet AS.

"The hardest thing in football is winning again. Winning once is great, but doing it again is the difficult part. That's the challenge we have now: to want to win again, to keep winning. It's very difficult, but this team has what it takes to do it, and we're going for this title with a lot of enthusiasm; we also consider it very important. We hope to be in the final four."

Formidable Record in the Nations League

Spain enter the fixture with an exceptional record in the competition, having reached the final in three of the last four Nations League editions. Excluding penalty shootouts, the European and world champions have suffered just one defeat in their last 18 matches in the tournament (10 wins, seven draws).

They also hold an impressive recent head-to-head record against the Three Lions, winning six of their last nine meetings across all competitions (one draw, two defeats). That run includes their 2-1 victory over England in the UEFA Euro 2024 final and a 2-1 triumph at Wembley in their previous Nations League visit in September 2018.