Spain defeats England 3-2 at Wembley as Kane misses second-half penalty

Early Spanish lead and England response

Spain opened their Nations League campaign on Saturday at Wembley Stadium with a 3-2 victory over England. The reigning world and European champions took the lead within 105 seconds when Lamine Yamal seized the ball from central defender Marc Guehi to score past James Trafford. Ferran Torres saw an eighth-minute finish disallowed for offside following a VAR review, before Trafford saved a second attempt from the forward and Torres rolled another shot wide after an Elliot Anderson turnover. Spain generated further pressure through a Dani Olmo effort created by Yamal's backheel pass. England regrouped during the final fifteen minutes of the first half, equalising in the 36th minute when Anthony Gordon finished a counterattack orchestrated by Jude Bellingham. Four minutes later, Harry Kane headed England into a 2-1 lead from a Nico O'Reilly cross that took a deflection off Marc Cucurella.

Penalty miss and Spanish comeback

England carried their momentum into the second half and created an opportunity to extend their advantage to two goals in the 54th minute. Italian referee Davide Massa awarded a penalty to the hosts following a VAR check for a foul by Rodri on Bellingham inside the penalty area. Kane stepped up to take the spot-kick, but his standing foot gave way on the turf, causing him to strike the ball against the crossbar. Spain responded rapidly to the missed penalty as manager Luis de la Fuente turned to his substitutes bench. Substitute Alex Baena first created an opening for Yamal with a backheel before curling in the equaliser himself in the 60th minute after O'Reilly lost possession. In the 74th minute, Baena provided a through ball to another substitute, Mikel Oyarzabal, who chipped a finish over the 1.97-metre Trafford to seal the 3-2 win.

Team selection and individual performances

The encounter was England's first fixture under manager Thomas Tuchel following their World Cup semi-final exit against Argentina in the United States. Pre-match stadium announcements omitted Tuchel's name when reading out the starting lineup and twelve substitutes, avoiding an anticipated reaction from the home crowd. On the pitch, Tuchel handed Arsenal midfielder Myles Lewis-Skelly his first senior England start alongside Anderson, tasking the pair with disrupting Rodri's distribution before Lewis-Skelly was substituted in the 70th minute. Jarell Quansah started at right-back and headed a first-half chance over the crossbar, while Bukayo Saka curled an effort just wide during the second half. Bellingham produced England's standout display by assisting Gordon, winning the penalty, and forcing a late save from Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simon.

Group 3 standings and match ratings

The victory extends Spain's unbeaten run to 39 consecutive matches, an ongoing sequence that started in March 2024. Spain and Croatia occupy the top positions in League A Group 3 after the opening round of fixtures, following Croatia's 2-1 win over Czechia behind a goal from 41-year-old Luka Modric. Post-match player evaluations rated Bellingham highest among England players with 8 out of 10, while Guehi received 5 out of 10 after his opening turnover. Trafford, Quansah, Ezri Konsa, O'Reilly, Anderson, Lewis-Skelly, and Saka each received a rating of 6. England and Spain will face each other again in their return group match on 15 November 2026.