England are back in action post-World Cup, and despite the disappointment around the exit of the tournament, they return to start their Nations League campaign against the reigning World champions Spain, as they face the toughest opponent possible with a chance to prove themselves in front of a packed Wembley crowd.

While this game was full of errors from England which allowed Spain to claim victory, they were a much-improved side from the World Cup exit and instead of retreating they maintained a solid level of performance even with their second half collapse.

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Teams

England: Trafford, O’Reilly, Guehi (Branthwaite 89′), Konsa, Quansah, Lewis-Skelly (Garner 70′), Anderson, Gordon (Rogers 70′), Bellingham, Saka (Gibbs-White 83′), Kane (Calvert-Lewin 83′)

Subs: Steele, Pickford, Hall, Alexander-Arnold, Chalobah, Scott, Eze

Spain: Simon, Cucurella, Laporte, Cubarsi, Pubill, Ruiz (Pedri 70′), Rodri, Williams (Baena 54′), Olmo (Merino 82′), Yamal, Ferran (Oyarzabal 54′)

Subs: Raya, Martinez, Huijsen, Grimaldo, Lopez, Zubimendi, Pino

England 2-3 Spain

England were beaten 3-2 by Spain in a thrilling Nations League opener at Wembley on Saturday, but there was plenty for Thomas Tuchel’s side to take from an absorbing contest against the reigning world champions. Spain struck first after only two minutes, with Lamine Yamal capitalising on a mistake at the back before calmly finishing past James Trafford. England were rattled early on, with Spain’s movement and crisp passing causing problems, but they gradually found their rhythm. Anthony Gordon levelled in the 36th minute after a sweeping counter-attack involving Jude Bellingham, and Harry Kane then completed a remarkable turnaround four minutes later, heading in a cross from Nico O’Reilly to send Wembley into raptures.

England began the second half with confidence and looked capable of extending their lead, with Bellingham continuing to drive his team forward. Their biggest opportunity arrived in the 54th minute when a foul on Bellingham earned England a penalty, but Kane’s attempt struck the crossbar after the England captain slipped as he took the kick. It proved a crucial turning point. Spain responded with the composure of a side accustomed to the biggest occasions, and Álex Baena drew them level in the 60th minute, cutting inside before bending a superb finish into the corner. Suddenly, the momentum had swung back towards the visitors.

Spain’s winner arrived in the 74th minute and carried a familiar sting for England supporters. Baena slipped a perfectly weighted pass through to Mikel Oyarzabal, who lifted an exquisite finish over Trafford and into the net. Oyarzabal had scored the decisive goal against England in the Euro 2024 final, and once again he found himself celebrating at England’s expense. The visitors remained dangerous whenever they attacked, with Yamal continuing to provide flashes of brilliance, while England were left to rue defensive errors and the missed penalty that might have put them 3-1 ahead.

England pushed hard for an equaliser during the closing stages, with Bellingham testing Unai Simón and the hosts throwing men forward, but Spain held firm to begin their Nations League campaign with a 3-2 victory. The result leaves England without a point from their opening Group A3 fixture, while Spain start with three points and extend their unbeaten run to 39 matches. For Tuchel, the defeat will sting, particularly after his side had fought back so impressively from that early setback, but the performance had genuine attacking spark and resilience. Against a Spain side operating with the confidence of world champions, England showed they could compete, they simply could not quite find the finishing touch when the decisive moments arrived.

Talking Points

The first talking point from the clash would have to be the improved showing from England after their World Cup disappointment. Although they couldn’t get away with the win, there were some signs of positivity as they were able to quickly turn the game back in their favour despite falling behind early due to a mistake at the back, and even going into the second half they looked capable of adding more, and if Kane had scored the penalty in the 54th minute, this could have put the game out of reach.

Spain however are the dominant force in international football, and have extended their unbeaten run to 39 straight games, a simply incredible run as they hold both the European and World championship trophies, and continue to demonstrate a quality that was seen back in their dominant 2008-2012 period. With England being so close in recent years to success, they should be looking at Spain as a blueprint to getting over the line.

Finally, this game had a lot of positives, and given the criticism often faced by England about the pointless games and lower level opponents in meaningless games, seeing England up for a big clash against the world’s best side feels more positive and can give fans an incentive to watch and support the team, even with the Nations League largely seen as a ‘lesser’ tournament.