Spain beats England 3-2 in Nations League at Wembley

Spain's goals came from Lamine Yamal, Alejandro Baena Rodríguez and Mikel Oyarzábal, while Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane scored for England, according to the match account. England had 59% possession to Spain's 41%. Both teams registered three shots on target. England received three yellow cards, and Spain received none.

Spain's comeback at Wembley

Yamal put Spain ahead in the opening minute. Gordon equalized for England, and Kane then moved the hosts in front before halftime. Baena restored parity after the break, and Oyarzábal scored the winning goal.

The result leaves Spain first in Group A3 and England third. Spain will next play Croatia on Sept. 29 at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium. England will face the Czech Republic at Fortuna Arena on the same day.

Spain's world title and England's changes

Spain entered the match as the reigning world champion. England finished third at the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States. The Nations League match was Spain's first game since winning that tournament.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said the world title could not guarantee another victory. “What we have done at the World Cup is no longer enough to keep winning matches or beat England. We must be better,” de la Fuente said.

De la Fuente kept much of the squad that won the World Cup. Marcos Llorente retired from international football, while Borja Iglesias and Joan García were unavailable because of injuries. England coach Thomas Tuchel left nine World Cup players out of his squad and recalled Trent Alexander-Arnold and Cole Palmer.

Eric García's late withdrawal

Eric García was expected to start at right back for Spain but was injured during the warmup. Marc Pubill replaced him in the starting lineup. García felt pain in his left knee, and Spain's medical staff was due to assess the injury.

The change gave Pubill a late chance to start in a match that included several established Spain players. García's club, Barcelona, had been informed of the injury, while a decision was pending on whether he would stay with Spain or return for further examinations.

Davide Massa's assignment

Italian referee Davide Massa officiated the match. It was his second game involving Spain. His first was Spain's 1-1 draw with the Netherlands in Amsterdam on Nov. 11, 2020, when Unai Simón made his debut.

Massa had previously handled three England matches, all friendlies. England lost two of them, against Iceland and France, and won the other against Scotland. Massa was not selected for the 2026 World Cup. Spain's next match is against Croatia on Sept. 29.