England kicked off their Uefa National League campaign to a losing start after suffering a 2-3 defeat in the hands of Spain, World Champions, in the match on Saturday 26 September, 2026 at Wembley Stadium, Wembley, England.
In just two (2) minutes of play, the La Roja took the lead through Barcelona winger, Lamine Yamal; the 19-year old capitalized on an error by defender Marc Guehi to put the ball past goalkeeper, James Trafford.
However, Thomas Tuchel’s side responded with two (2) goals from Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane; the Barcelona winger and Bayern Munich forward netted in the 36th and 40th minutes with assists from Jude Bellingham and Nico O’Reilly respectively.
Both goals came after the Three Lions had survived several close calls.
A golden chance to net their third after the break was wasted by Kane. England were awarded a penalty in the 54th minute after a check by Video Assistant Referee (VAR) after Real Madrid midfielder, Bellingham, was brought down in the area, but, the Bayern Munich goal machine was unable to convert.
Kane’s miss opened the door for Spain to quickly level as Substitute Alex Baena benefitted from an error by O’Reilly to find the back of the net in the 60th minute.
And, in the 74th minute, Baena turned provider for Mikel Oyarzabal, who ensured to convert and hand the La Roja the victory with the third.
The outcome means, Spain have successfully extended their unbeaten run to a whopping thirty-nine (39) games, but, several mistakes by England which led to goals for Spain has to be corrected ahead of their next showdown.
German pro football manager, Tuchel, must work towards making sure individual errors are cut down. Errors by Guehi and O’Reilly were met with the right reaction from Spain, a team with immense quality.
Results
| Uefa Nations League 2026/27 – Saturday 26 September, 2026 |
| Czechia 1-2 Croatia |
| England 2-3 Spain |
| Slovenia 0-0 Scotland |
| North Macedonia 0-3 Switzerland |
| San Marino 0-7 Finland |
| Albania 2-0 Belarus |
| Faroe Islands 1-1 Kazakhstan |
| Slovakia 2-0 Moldova |
| Bulgaria 1-2 Luxembourg |
| Iceland 1-1 Estonia |
Next for England and Spain?
In their next Uefa Nations League matches, England and Spain will face Czechia and Croatia in Prague, Czechia and Seville, Spain respectively, both games on Tuesday 29 September, 2026 at 19:45 (WAT).
While England will be looking to clinch their first victory of the tournament in Prague, Spain will be focused on maintaining their unbeaten run at home.
Post-match comments from England camp
According to the England on X, Coach Thomas Tuchel said, the Three Lions must “learn” from their mistakes and move on with the “positive”.
In his assessment of the clash, Tuchel said: “We have to learn from it and take what is positive.”
Anthony Gordon, former Newcastle United forward, who levelled for England on Saturday night, said, he felt “confident”, however added, that most of the time does not bring the “victory”.
Gordon said: “I felt confident, but feeling confident doesn’t always translate to win. I thought you’re seeing here tonight, that we’re a top team.”
