Spain host England at the Metropolitano on Sunday with Group 3 top spot at stake

A decider for the group top spot

Spain and England meet at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid on Sunday, 15 November, kick-off 20:45 local time, in the final round of the Nations League group stage. Both teams have already booked quarter-final places, so the match settles first and second place in Group 3. Spain lead on 15 points from five wins in five matches, while England have 12. A draw would be enough for the reigning world champions to finish top, which would give them the quarter-final second leg on home soil. RTVE explains that if England won, goal difference across the two meetings would be the first tiebreaker, and Spain won the Wembley meeting in late September 3-2 after trailing 2-1.

Spain15

England12

Spain

15 points

England

12 points

Data from the article text

Lamine Yamal's knee and the squad rebuild

Lamine Yamal missed Spain's win in Prague on Thursday, 12 November, after the Federation announced on Monday, 9 November, that he would stay in Barcelona because of discomfort in his right knee. He joined the squad at the Las Rozas training centre on Friday afternoon, 13 November, and Mikel Oyarzabal rejoined the group the same day after becoming a father, a detail SAPO attributes to AS. Speaking before the Czech match, Luis de la Fuente angrily rejected claims of special treatment and said he had personally decided the player would remain in Barcelona until Friday.

“What bothers me are the people who lie.”

The Federation maintains that the knee problem was real and that the doctors judged travelling to Prague was not advisable. Even so, Federation insiders accept that Yamal is a special case, which keeps the debate alive in the Spanish media.

The Barcelona and Federation row

Yamal's availability has been a recurring source of friction between Barcelona and the Federation. El País ties the latest episode to September 2025, when Hansi Flick said the national team did not look after players after Yamal took painkillers to play against Bulgaria and Turkey. De la Fuente replied that he was surprised by Flick's lack of empathy, pointing out that Flick had himself been a national team coach. El País also notes that Yamal's physiotherapist works for both Barcelona and the Federation.

Team form and the bigger picture

Spain arrive with 44 official matches without defeat and a run of 12 straight wins, the latest a 2-0 victory in Prague. England have lost only two official matches since Thomas Tuchel took charge. RTVE expects England to be keen to return the Wembley defeat on Sunday. RTVE also says a first place would spare Spain a quarter-final against the other group winners, who are considered stronger than the runners-up, with France, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium named as possible opponents.

Quarter-finals, venues and broadcast

The match is shown live on La 1 and RTVE Play. The quarter-final draw takes place on 20 November, and group winners host the second leg against a runner-up. The quarter-final ties are scheduled for 25 and 30 March 2027. The RFEF wants Spain's home leg played in Valencia, to bid farewell to the old Mestalla before its demolition. If Spain reach the final phase, the federation has asked for matches at a Valladolid stadium and at the Santiago Bernabéu.