High hopes for Group H heavyweights Spain

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - Spanish football is riding the crest of a wave following Spain's Euro 2008 victory and the record-breaking achievements of Barcelona in 2009, and La Roja are the favourites for the World Cup.

Having been drawn alongside Honduras, Chile and Switzerland in Group H, they will expect to make the last 16, where Brazil, Portugal and Cote d'Ivoire are all potential opponents if they top their group.

Their best previous performance was a fourth-place finish in 1950 but in players like goalkeeper Iker Casillas, midfield magicians Xavi and Andres Iniesta and lethal strikers David Villa and Fernando Torres they possess the kind of quality that emerges only once in a generation.