Spain are in for a difficult World Cup, warns former midfielder Gaizka Mendieta – especially with an opening game against Holland.

Hopes are high after the current World and European champions’ unprecedented success in their last three major tournaments. And a convincing display in Friday night’s 2-0 warm-up friendly win for Vicente del Bosque’s team, against Bolivia, did nothing to dent the optimism.

But our Sony Team Ambassador following Spain this summer has issued a word of warning. “Spain are going to have a tough World Cup,” said Mendieta, capped 40 times by his country. “I really think they are going to have a hard time.

“I think for Spain every competition is getting tougher and tougher because the opposition teams know how to play against them better. They feel comfortable letting Spain have the ball and they are just sitting in the box and waiting for their chances. That makes it very difficult.

“I think the fact that we are facing Netherlands in the first game makes it even harder. Spain could only afford in the last World Cup to lose one game and that was the first one, and then they always had that added pressure of not being allowed to drop any more points.

“The fact that it’s Netherlands in the first game makes it even tougher because they could be among the national teams that could be considered the favourites.

“But if you want to be champions, you have to face the best national teams, and I think that is the task that Spain face in their first game.

“I think in a way it is going to be good as well because that could make the players and the whole squad to be focussed. There is no gap for complacency, and you have to give 150 per cent from the first game.”