Players with the most caps for Spain since 2000

The Spain team of the late 2000s to early 2010s would become perhaps the most dominant team international football has ever seen, winning three straight international tournament, with world class players from top to bottom.

Below, we look at the 10 players with the most Spain appearances since 2000

Sergio Ramos (180)

One of the most formidable defenders of his generation, Sergio Ramos made his Spain debut at the age of 18 and never looked back.

Capable of playing at right-back and centre-back, Ramos featured in 10 or more games in eight straight years, and remains one of the most capped players in football history.

Iker Casillas (167)

One of the best goalkeepers of all time, Iker Casillas took the Spain gloves not long after breaking through at Real Madrid and kept them for more than a decade.

Casillas was Spain's number one from 2002 right through their Euros and World Cup wins, eventually retiring in 2016.

Sergio Busquets (143)

There's an argument to be made that Sergio Busquets was one of the most underrated players of his generation, but judging by his 143 caps, each of his national team managers knew all too well how good the midfielder was.

The lynchpin that held the best Spain and Barcelona teams together, Busquets typically operated at the base of a midfield three, allowing their flashier players to flourish.

Xavi (133)

One third of the legendary Barcelona midfield, Xavi was a surprisingly late bloomer. Making his debut as a 20-year-old, it wasn't until his mid-20s that he became a regular fixture for the national side.

Once he did, he remained there until his retirement in 2014 in the aftermath of Spain's shocking World Cup exit.

Andres Iniesta (131)

The man whose goal gave Spain its first World Cup. Not a natural goalscorer, of course, Andres Iniesta's game was more about unlocking defences by either passing through them or running through them.

One of the best players of all time, and a Spain and Barcelona legend.

David Silva (125)

What he lacked in physicality, David Silva more than made up for in every other aspect of his game. A sumptuous first tough, the ability to beat a man without any notable pace, and the eye for a pass to unlock the most stubborn defences.

Making his debut in November 2006, Silva retired in 2018, though he could have easily played on for another couple of years with La Roja, potentially moving beyond some of the Barcelona greats.

Xabi Alonso (114)

Another outrageously gifted midfielder who managed to clear 100 caps in an extremely competitive position for the national side, Xabi Alonso's Spain career predated his Real Madrid and even his Liverpool days, breaking through with Real Sociedad in 2003.

Another of Spain's golden generation to retire after the 2014 World Cup, Alonso enjoyed another three successful years at club level with Bayern Munich.

Fernando Torres (110)

A precocious talent, Fernando Torres established himself as a Spain regular shortly after making his debut back in 2003.

Despite the injury issues that blighted his later year, Torres cleared 100 caps to become Spain's most-capped centre forward.

Cesc Fabregas (110)

Breaking into the Arsenal team as a teenager, Cesc Fabregas's talented were very quickly there for all to see. Fabregas would make his Spain debut at the age of 18, and despite the litany of midfield talent La Roja had, the midfielder still earned more than 100 caps.

Gerard Pique (102)

Eclipsing defensive partner Carles Puyol by just two caps, Gerard Pique instantly became an invaluable member of the Spain side after making his debut in 2009.

One of the younger members of their golden generation, Pique played 102 times in 10 years, retiring in 2018.

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