England were beaten 3-2 by Spain at Wembley Stadium on Saturday evening as the reigning world champions fought back from behind to win the opening match of the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League. Mikel Oyarzabal struck the decisive goal with sixteen minutes remaining after England had led 2-1 at half-time.
Yamal punishes an early error
Lamine Yamal gave the visitors a dream start, pouncing on a Marc Guehi blunder that allowed Lamine Yamal to take the ball, run in on goal and score, an early gift for the world champions. The strike came so early that it was the third quickest goal England have ever conceded at Wembley Stadium, behind only first minute goals for Scotland in 1957 and Hungary in 1953.
Spain continued to create the better openings, with James Trafford forced into a big save from a one-on-one with Ferran Torres after England's defence was cut wide open, while Torres later sent a shot wide after being played in by Rodri following a Yamal interception.
Gordon and Kane turn it around
England grew into the contest and levelled midway through the first half when Anthony Gordon combined with Jude Bellingham before completing an exceptional counter-attack to level the match. Moments later the hosts completed the turnaround as Harry Kane headed in Nico O'Reilly's cross despite Marc Cucurella's attempts to block, sending England into the lead.
England had the chance to extend their advantage early in the second half after Bellingham won a penalty, but Spain were spared after Kane's effort smashed off the underside of the crossbar. It proved a costly miss.
Baena inspires a stunning comeback
Spain's head coach turned to his bench, sending on Alex Baena and Oyarzabal in place of Nico Williams and Ferran Torres just after the hour mark, and the substitutions changed the course of the match. Spain drew level when Nico O'Reilly lost the ball in a dangerous area, allowing Alex Baena to equalise from just outside the box.
Baena was involved again shortly afterwards, this time as a provider. Baena registered the assist as Mikel Oyarzabal delightfully dinked the ball over James Trafford to hand Spain a 3-2 victory, sealing a dramatic turnaround in front of a packed home crowd.
A statement result for the world champions
The victory was Spain's first outing since winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the squad officially debuting its second star above the crest at Wembley. It also extended a lengthy unbeaten run that stretches back more than two years for Luis de la Fuente's side.
For Thomas Tuchel, the defeat represents an early setback in his stated aim of winning the new-look competition, even if there were encouraging signs in England's attacking play. There will be significant concerns regarding the sloppiness of England's passing from the back, though Spain do still deserve credit for their quality and their relentless pressing, with both factors ensuring the world champions won again.
Both nations will now shift focus to their remaining Nations League commitments as the group phase continues in the coming weeks, with England looking to bounce back from a result that showed both their attacking promise and their defensive fragility against the best team in the world.