Madrid - Spain was delighted on Thursday with the record-breaking qualifying run of "La Seleccion" to the 2010 World Cup.

On Wednesday Spain became the first team ever to win all 10 matches in a European zone group by thrashing second-placed Bosnia 5-2.

The European champions Spain have not missed out on the World Cup since 1974, a record bettered only by Brazil, Argentina, Germany and Italy.

They will go to South Africa on a wave of optimism and expectation, accompanied by a "vox populi" that really believes that this time - after so many frustarions and disappointments in the past - the team will live up to its billing as one of the favourites.

Spain have lost only game since 2006, against underdogs United States in the semi-finals of the Confederations Cup last June.

The 10th victory was front-page news all over the country on Thursday.

Every paper carried the words of national manager Vicente del Bosque, who said in snowy Zenica that "our aspiration is to fight for the World Cup, but we know that will be very difficult. We are not favourites but we are amongst the hopefuls."

Madrid sports daily AS reserved special praise on Thursday for Alvaro Negredo, the Sevilla forward who stepped in for injury victims David Villa and Fernando Torres - and scored two goals and set up two more.

"Negredo Dynamite" was the headline in AS on Thursday.

The 24 year-old striker has made such an impressive start at Sevilla this season that Real Madrid - who loaned him out to Almeria in the past two seasons - are already considering getting Negredo back next summer.

Rival daily Marca said that Del Bosque had to field a reserve-packed team on Wednesday because of injuries and suspensions - but that the team "functioned as smoothly as ever."

In Zenica, Spain were missing several players who were fundamental in the Euro 2008 triumph, such as Carles Puyol, Fernando Torres, Xavi, Villa and Torres.

Radio station Cadena SER said on Thursday that "the competition for places in the World Cup squad will be brutal, because of the emergence of youngsters like Negredo, (Sergio) Busquets, (Juan) Mata, (Fernando) Llorente and (Jesus) Navas."

Navas, 23, is a tricky little Sevilla right-winger who has been knocking at the door of "La Seleccion" for three years. He has not yet been called up by Del Bosque because of the anxiety attacks that he perdiodically suffers, particularly at the start of every season.

However, Sevilla president Jose Maria del Nido made clear last week - after Navas had torn apart the left flank of Real Madrid in a 2-1 win - that the youngster has overcome his problems and is now finally ready to make his Spain debut.

Del Bosque will almost certainly try him out in one of the pre-World Cup friendles, and will thus add to his embarrassment of riches. (dpa)