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Referee
- Davide Massa
Preview for England v Spain
England will begin their 2026-27 UEFA Nations League campaign with a huge test on Saturday evening when world champions Spain visit Wembley.
The Three Lions are back in League A after winning promotion in the previous edition, but their opening Group A3 fixture could hardly be more demanding against a Spain side that have followed their European Championship triumph by lifting the World Cup.
England have not played since finishing third at the 2026 World Cup, where they suffered a 2-1 semi-final defeat to Argentina before producing a remarkable 6-4 win over France in the third-place play-off.
The Nations League provides England with four fixtures during the extended international window, with Saturday’s meeting with Spain followed by away games against Czechia and Croatia before the return fixture with the Czechs at Wembley.
The Three Lions have the historical advantage over Spain, winning 14 of their 28 previous meetings in all competitions compared with 11 defeats.
Spain, though, have won the most recent competitive meeting, beating England 2-1 in the Euro 2024 final to claim the trophy.
Luis de la Fuente’s side now arrive at Wembley as world and European champions, having beaten Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the 2026 World Cup final.
Spain also won the Nations League in 2022-23, beating Croatia on penalties in the final, while they were runners-up in both 2020-21 and 2024-25.
Team News for England v Spain
England will be without five players who were originally selected for the international window, with Cole Palmer, Declan Rice, Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo and Tino Livramento all withdrawing because of injuries.
Morgan Gibbs-White and James Garner have subsequently been called up, while Lewis Hall has also been dealing with an issue after missing training earlier in the week.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has returned to the squad and could feature at right-back, although Jarell Quansah is another option in that position.
Rice’s absence leaves Tuchel with decisions to make in midfield, with Alex Scott among the players who could come into the side.
Joan Garcia and Pedro Porro are absent through injury for Spain, while Marcos Llorente has retired from international football.
Gavi and Borja Iglesias have not been selected, while Ivan Fresneda and Roberto Fernandez are the two uncapped players in the squad.
Nico Williams is also available after recovering from his injury problems, while Mikel Oyarzabal could lead the line despite Ferran Torres’ strong start to the season with Paris Saint-Germain.
Expected line-ups for England v Spain
England: Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Konsa, Guehi, O’Reilly; Anderson, Scott; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane
Spain: Simon; E Garcia, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, N Williams; Oyarzabal.
ℹ️ Official lineups are not available yet. They are usually announced 20–40 minutes before kickoff, depending on the competition.
Recent Form & Stats for England v Spain
- England have won 14 of their 28 previous meetings with Spain in all competitions.
- Spain have won the last competitive meeting, beating England 2-1 in the Euro 2024 final.
- England have won four of their last five matches, with their only defeat coming against Argentina in the World Cup semi-final.
- Spain have won their last five matches, including their 1-0 World Cup final win over Argentina.
- Spain have been unbeaten in normal time since their friendly defeat to Colombia in March 2024.
- England are back in Nations League League A after winning promotion from League B in the 2024-25 edition.
- Spain won the Nations League in 2022-23 and finished runners-up in the previous edition.
Where to Watch England v Spain: TV and online streams
England v Spain will be shown live on ITV in the UK, with coverage beginning at 6:45pm ahead of the 7:45pm kick-off at Wembley. The match will also be available to stream live through ITVX.
TalkSPORT will also provide live radio commentary from Wembley.
Prediction for England v Spain
England will have home advantage and will be eager to make a strong start, but Spain arrive in London with an outstanding recent record and the confidence of being world champions.
The Three Lions have enough attacking quality to make this a close contest, particularly at Wembley, but Spain’s control in possession and experience of high-pressure matches could give them the edge.
