Spain edge England 3-2 at Wembley in Nations League clash
England lost 3-2 to world and European champions Spain in a Nations League match at Wembley, despite fighting back to level the score in the second half. Spain remain unbeaten in 39 matches.
England's recovery from their World Cup semi-final heartbreak began with defeat at Wembley, as they lost 3-2 to Spain in a Nations League encounter marked by bold, occasionally chaotic football from the home side.
Spain took an early lead through Lamine Yamal in the second minute after a defensive error from Marc Guehi. England responded strongly, moving ahead before half-time thanks to a composed finish from Anthony Gordon and a deflected header from Harry Kane. Shortly after the restart, Kane missed a penalty, striking the ball against the crossbar after slipping and touching it twice — a moment that proved pivotal.
Spain regained control soon after, with Alex Baena equalising following a mistake from Nico O'Reilly, before substitute Mikel Oyarzabal — who also scored the winning goal against England in the Euro 2024 final — settled the match in the 74th minute.
Head coach Thomas Tuchel said afterwards that England had embraced a degree of chaos but pushed back against suggestions the defending had been disorderly, pointing to a high number of ball recoveries in Spain's half. He said the main gap between the sides came down to technical execution in the final third.
England captain Kane said his side had gone toe-to-toe with the world and European champions and could have won on another day. England have now conceded 13 goals in their last six matches across all competitions, a sharp rise from the seven goals conceded in their previous 17 games under Tuchel. Gordon and Jude Bellingham, both now playing for Spanish clubs, were singled out as England's standout performers. Spain remain unbeaten in 39 games.
