Spain were often referred to as the underachievers in world football, as they had not dominated at the World Cup despite having bags of talent and a top-notch domestic league. They broke the duck in 2010 in South Africa, winning the World Cup for the first time in their history.
The likes of David Villa, Andres Iniesta, Xabi Alonso, Iker Casillas and Carles Puyol were key performers in their success. However, quite a few members of their 23 man squad pocketed a winners medal despite not featuring in the games.
Each time the eventual winners pick a squad of 23 and naturally all of them are not expected to play important roles. Some members are left out of the proceedings, but they receive a medal at the end like everyone else.
These World Cup winners are easy to forget, most of which are backup options or promising youngsters. Experienced personnel is preferred to them, which pushes them to the sidelines.