England begin their 2026/27 UEFA Nations League campaign against world champions Spain at Wembley on September 26.
It is one of the standout fixtures of Matchday 1. Spain arrive only two months after winning the 2026 World Cup, while England finished third after their best World Cup performance since winning the competition in 1966.
Croatia and Czechia complete Group A3, so both teams face a demanding route to the Nations League quarter-finals.
England vs Spain Match Details
Competition: 2026/27 UEFA Nations League
League: League A
Group: A3
Stage: Matchday 1
Date: September 26, 2026
Kick-off: 19:45 BST
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London
England coach: Thomas Tuchel
Spain coach: Luis de la Fuente
England travel to Czechia after this match, while Spain host Croatia three days later.
England vs Spain Head-to-Head Record
England hold a narrow historical advantage. According to UEFA's current record, the countries have met 28 times. England have won 13, Spain have won 11, and four have ended in draws. Their last six meetings were:
Spain 2-1 England – July 2024
Spain 2-3 England – October 2018
England 1-2 Spain – September 2018
England 2-2 Spain – November 2016
Spain 2-0 England – November 2015
England 1-0 Spain – November 2011
The recent competitive record is particularly interesting. Spain beat England 2-1 in the Euro 2024 final, while the two teams exchanged away victories during the 2018/19 Nations League. Spain won 2-1 at Wembley before England responded with a 3-2 victory in Seville. That makes this their first meeting since the Euro 2024 final.
England Recent Form
England enter the Nations League after finishing third at the 2026 World Cup. Their last five matches were:
France 4-6 England
England 1-2 Argentina
Norway 1-2 England – after extra time
Mexico 2-3 England
England 2-1 DR Congo
England reached the semi-finals before losing 2-1 to Argentina, then responded by beating France 6-4 in the bronze-medal match. Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick in that remarkable third-place game. Their knockout run also included victories over DR Congo, Mexico and Norway.
For me, the encouraging part is England's ability to find different ways to win. They were involved in open games against Mexico and France but also came through a difficult extra-time quarter-final against Norway.
Spain represent a different challenge because England are unlikely to control possession as comfortably as they do against most opponents.
Spain Recent Form
Spain arrive at Wembley as both European and world champions. Their last five matches were:
Spain 1-0 Argentina – after extra time
France 0-2 Spain
Spain 2-1 Belgium
Portugal 0-1 Spain
Spain 3-0 Austria
Spain won all five knockout matches at the World Cup and conceded only once during that sequence. They defeated Austria, Portugal, Belgium and France before Ferran Torres scored the extra-time winner against Argentina in the final.
Their overall tournament was equally impressive. After drawing 0-0 with Cabo Verde in their opener, Spain won seven consecutive games to lift their second World Cup. That makes them the clearest benchmark England could face at the start of this Nations League campaign.
England Team News
Thomas Tuchel has named a 27-player squad. Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Cole Palmer and Marcus Rashford are among the established players selected.
Trent Alexander-Arnold returns to the squad, while Cole Palmer, Jarrad Branthwaite, Lewis Hall, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Alex Scott are also back. Liverpool's Rio Ngumoha is included among the attacking options.
England therefore have considerable attacking depth. Kane remains the obvious central reference, but Tuchel can support him with different combinations of Saka, Palmer, Rashford, Anthony Gordon, Eberechi Eze and Morgan Rogers.
The midfield decision may be more important. Bellingham, Rice, Elliot Anderson, Kobbie Mainoo, Palmer and Scott give Tuchel different levels of creativity, physicality and defensive control. Against Spain, the balance between those qualities matters.
Spain Team News
Luis de la Fuente has selected 26 players for Spain's first matches since winning the World Cup. Unai Simón and David Raya are among the goalkeepers, while the defensive group includes Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsí, Marc Cucurella, Dean Huijsen and Aymeric Laporte.
Spain's midfield remains extremely strong. Rodri, Martín Zubimendi, Pedri, Fabián Ruiz, Mikel Merino, Fermín López and Álex Baena are all included. Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, Ferran Torres, Dani Olmo and Mikel Oyarzabal are among the attacking options.
The important point for me is continuity. Spain have not needed a major rebuild after the World Cup. De la Fuente can continue working with a group already comfortable with his possession structure, pressing and positional rotations.
Key Players
Jude Bellingham
Bellingham gives England a midfielder who can influence almost every phase of the game. Against Spain, his ability to carry the ball through pressure could be especially valuable. England may not always be able to build slowly through midfield, so Bellingham's ability to break lines himself can change the shape of an attack.
Bukayo Saka
Saka ended the World Cup strongly and scored three times against France in the bronze-medal match. His one-on-one battle on England's right could be one of their best attacking routes. If England can isolate him against a defender rather than asking him to receive while surrounded, he can create problems.
Lamine Yamal
Yamal gives Spain something different from their possession game. He can stay wide, attack defenders directly, and create chances without needing a long passing sequence first. England must stop Spain from repeatedly switching play into situations where Yamal can attack one-on-one.
Pedri
Pedri's influence is less about individual moments and more about how Spain control matches. His positioning, short passing and ability to receive under pressure help Spain keep possession in crowded areas. If England allow him too much freedom, they could spend long periods chasing the ball.
Tactical Battle
Spain are likely to control more possession. That does not mean England need to dominate the ball to compete. Tuchel's side have enough pace and technical quality to attack Spain quickly when possession changes hands.
Kane can drop deeper, Bellingham can run beyond him, and players such as Saka or Gordon can attack the spaces around Spain's full-backs. England's challenge is choosing when to press.
Press too aggressively without coordination and Spain can play through them. Sit too deep for too long and Pedri, Rodri and Spain's other midfielders can gradually move England closer to their own penalty area.
England need a compact midfield and well-timed pressure rather than constant pressing. Spain face the opposite problem. They will expect to have the ball, but they cannot allow possession to make them careless defensively. England have enough pace to punish turnovers immediately.
Where the Match Could Be Decided
England defending Spain's midfield
Spain's biggest strength is not one individual player. It is their ability to create passing options around the ball. England need Rice, Bellingham and whoever joins them in midfield to stay compact and prevent easy passes through the centre.
England attacking after turnovers
This may be England's best opportunity. When Spain lose possession with players ahead of the ball, England can attack quickly through Saka, Bellingham and their other runners. The first forward pass after winning the ball will be important.
Spain's wide threat
Yamal and Nico Williams can stretch England's defensive shape. If England's full-backs receive little support, Spain can repeatedly create one-on-one situations in wide areas.
Kane against Spain's centre-backs
Kane does not need to remain between the centre-backs. If he drops into midfield, he can create space for Saka, Bellingham and England's other attackers to run beyond him. Spain must decide whether a defender follows Kane or allows a midfielder to pick him up.
What the H2H Record Tells Me
The overall record is close, and the modern competitive meetings have been even more useful. Spain won at Wembley in the 2018 Nations League. England then won the return match in Seville.
Spain's 2-1 victory in the Euro 2024 final gave them the most important recent result between the teams. But both sides have developed since then. England are now under Tuchel and have just finished third at the World Cup.
Spain have continued their progression under De la Fuente and now arrive as world champions. That makes the current tactical matchup far more relevant than older H2H numbers.
Final View
For me, this is probably the strongest test England could have at the beginning of their Nations League campaign. Spain arrive at Wembley after winning seven consecutive World Cup matches and conceding only one goal during the entire tournament.
England also have reasons for confidence. Their World Cup run showed improvement under Tuchel, and they have enough individual quality through Kane, Bellingham, Saka, Rice and Palmer to trouble Spain.
The key is how England approach the periods when they do not have the ball. They cannot allow Spain's midfield to dictate the game without pressure, but chasing possession recklessly would create even bigger problems.
England need discipline, compact positioning and quick attacking transitions. Spain's task is to control the ball without giving England space to counterattack. If they dominate midfield and consistently release Yamal and Williams into wide areas, England could be forced into a difficult defensive game.
With Croatia and Czechia also in Group A3, this is only the first match of a demanding campaign. But England against Spain at Wembley, two months after they finished third and first, respectively, at the World Cup, should give us an excellent early indication of where both teams stand.