Spain beat England 3-2 in Nations League opener at Wembley

World Cup champions Spain came from behind to defeat England 3-2 in their Nations League Group A3 opener at Wembley on September 26, 2026. Lamine Yamal gave Spain an early lead in the second minute after capitalizing on a defensive error by Marc Guehi. England rallied in the first half, with Anthony Gordon equalizing in the 36th minute and Harry Kane heading the hosts ahead in the 40th minute, appearing to take control at half-time.

The momentum shifted decisively in the second half when Kane missed a crucial penalty in the 55th minute. The England captain slipped as he struck the ball, which hit the inside of the crossbar; he also technically violated IFAB Law 14 by making contact with the ball twice, though the miss itself negated any replay. Following this turning point, Spain equalized through Alex Baena in the 60th minute after Nico O'Reilly's misplaced pass, with the midfielder capitalizing on another English error. Mikel Oyarzabal, who had also scored the decisive goal in the Euro 2024 final against England, sealed the victory with a delicate chip over goalkeeper James Trafford in the 74th minute.

England manager Thomas Tuchel attributed the loss to individual mistakes rather than tactical deficiency. "We did everything today to beat Spain," Tuchel said. "The execution and composure in the final 20 metres was on the highest level from our opponents." He emphasized that Kane's missed penalty might have been the decisive moment. Spain extended their unbeaten streak to 39 matches with the win. The defeat marked England's first Nations League campaign under Tuchel, who has otherwise maintained a strong record as manager. Spain's Luis de la Fuente noted his team had faced a difficult spell midway through the first half but maintained overall control of the contest.