Spain national team coach Vicente Del Bosque said on Thursday that his players had earned the rights to be considered as favorites for next summer's World Cup finals.

The Spanish have ended 2009 as number one in the FIFA ranking as the best national team in the World.

It is the perfect way to end a year in which the reigning European Champions qualified for the World Cup finals with a 100% record.

Spain has been handed a relatively straightforward group for the first stage in South Africa.

Del Bosque's men would face Honduras, Switzerland and Chile. He spoke to sports paper Diario AS that he was optimistic about the future.

"I accept the current feeling of optimism, it is a consequence of what the players have been able to motivate and they have the right to be considered favorites for the World Cup," said Del Bosque.

Nevertheless the former Real Madrid coach doesn't want that optimism to run out of control and sounded a note of caution.

"I should also say that the fact we have won titles in the past does not assure success in the future. We have to be cautious, have ambition, but also know that we will have a lot of difficulties," he said.

Should Spain qualify from the first stage, it could meet a tough rival such as Brazil, Portugal or the Ivory Coast.

"There are some great teams taking part and they will make it difficult. We all accept that, but we also accept the general atmosphere of euphoria."

"Everything has to go almost perfectly. There will knockout rounds and sometimes they can be cruel. It is not easy to win a World Cup and it is a good thing to remember that now and then," he concluded.