Spain Stun England at Wembley in a 5-Goal Thriller

The UEFA Nations League could hardly have asked for a more dramatic opening night. Spain defeated England 3–2 at Wembley on Saturday in a thrilling five-goal encounter that saw the visitors surrender an early lead, fall behind, survive a missed Harry Kane penalty and eventually produce a comeback of their own.

As It Happened

The match began at extraordinary speed. Just two minutes after kick-off, Lamine Yamal punished an error from England defender Marc Guéhi to put Spain ahead. The early goal immediately gave Spain the advantage they wanted, but England responded strongly rather than allowing the visitors to control the game. Anthony Gordon brought England level in the 36th minute after a counterattack involving Jude Bellingham. Four minutes later, Harry Kane completed England's turnaround, sending Wembley into celebration and giving Thomas Tuchel's team a 2–1 lead before halftime.

England appeared to have seized control of the match. Then came the moment that could have changed everything. Only a few minutes into the second half, Kane had the opportunity to extend England's lead from the penalty spot. Instead, the England captain slipped while taking the penalty and struck the crossbar. Spain survived, and the missed opportunity gave the visitors renewed belief.

Spain needed only a few more minutes to turn that belief into an equalizer. Alex Baena scored in the 61st minute to make it 2–2, setting up a dramatic final half-hour at Wembley. The match then became increasingly open, with both teams looking capable of producing the decisive moment. Spain eventually found it in the 74th minute. Mikel Oyarzabal, who famously scored Spain's winning goal against England in the Euro 2024 final, once again became England's tormentor. His finish put Spain 3–2 ahead and completed a remarkable comeback.

England pushed for an equalizer during the closing stages, but Spain held on to begin their Nations League campaign with three points. The result is particularly significant because this was not simply another international fixture. Spain and England had already developed a recent rivalry, most notably through the Euro 2024 final, when Spain defeated England 2–1 in Berlin. UEFA had highlighted the Wembley meeting as one of the standout fixtures of the opening Nations League matchday.

The Nations League is still only beginning. Spain will now turn their attention to Croatia, while England travel to face Czechia next. Both teams have plenty of football ahead of them, and the league phase will ultimately be decided over several matches rather than one night.