England host Spain at Wembley this evening as they kick off their Nations League campaign with a difficult clash against the world champions.
Thomas Tuchel’s side finished third in the World Cup this summer having been beaten in the semi-final stage by Argentina whilst Spain took the title having defeated the same opponent in the final. Questions were raised over the manner of England’s defeat to Argentina and Tuchel will be keen to show that his team have the ability to win against top tier opposition.
Spain boss Luis de la Fuente has signed a contract to extend his spell as head coach until at least 2032, while the spotlight is on Tuchel to show he can impose his tactical impressions on the team.
The top two teams in a Nations League group progress to the quarter-finals and a victory over Spain would put England in the driving seat for the rest of their group stage campaign.
Follow all the action from the Nations League as England take on Spain below:
Read MoreMorgan Rogers: ‘I’m disappointed Cole Palmer’s not here but he’s got to look after his body’
Harry Kane v Lamine Yamal at Wembley is the final twist in a bitter Ballon d’Or race
Thomas Tuchel has realised England’s ultimate challenge and only Spain have the answer
England vs Spain live
- England host Spain in the Nations League | Kick off at 7.45pm, live on ITV1
- 2' GOAL! Yamal pounces on Guehi error puts Spain ahead (ENG 0-1 ESP)
- Trafford starts in goal ahead of Pickford, Quansah picked over Alexander-Arnold
- England XI: Trafford; Quansah, Konsa, Guehi, O’Reilly; Anderson, Lewis-Skelly; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane
- Spain XI: Simon; Pubill, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Ruiz; Yamal, Olmo, Williams; Torres
A possession masterclass?
19:55 , Lawrence Ostlere at WembleyThomas Tuchel described playing Spain as the hardest task in football. Marc Guehi has decided to make the challenge slightly harder. I wonder if we are about to see a Spanish possession masterclass...
England 0-1 Spain
19:55 , Alan Smith6’ - Kane sets Gordon away down the left but his cross is smothered at the near post by Simon.
England 0-1 Spain
19:54 , Alan Smith5’ - England look to settle things down with a spell of possession but Guehi, after being fed by Trafford, appears a little unconvincing when being pressed by Olmo.
GOAL! England 0-1 Spain (Yamal 2)
19:52 , Alan SmithOh and it’s a nightmare start for England as Guehi gives away possession cheaply by turning towards goal 25 yards out.
Yamal capitalises, making a simple interception and, after sauntering forward with only Trafford to beat, he side foots in off the left post with a delightful bit of technique.
Kick-off! England 0-0 Spain
19:49 , Alan SmithAnd we’re underway, Ferran Torres kicking off for Spain, playing from left to right as we watch.
No guard of honour for Spain
19:47 , Alan SmithA Spanish media friend mildly bemoaning to me that England didn’t do a guard of honour for the world champions.
— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) September 26, 2026
Will Anthony Barry do a half-time interview?
19:45 , Alan SmithUnlikely but it would be fun, a reminder of the summer.
Wonderwall remains the soundtrack
19:40 , Alan SmithThat’s the song blaring out during the lights and firework show as the team gather in the tunnel.
It’s almost time for action.
Late Spain change
19:38 , Alan SmithMarc Pubil is in for Garcia, who has picked up some knee knock.
Tuchel on rotating keepers
19:37 , Alan Smith"[Trafford] gets two consecutive matches because he deserves it and then Pickford gets the other two,” Tuchel tells ITV.
“It was amazing to see how Jordan received the message and how he reacted to it. James is starting for Leeds and he had a good start. We know what Pickford can give us and he did nothing wrong. He was very positive about it so the decision is half and half."
"We showed the same energy and commitment in training again. We need to stick to the plan until the last minute. Hopefully we do it with confidence in belief and in some moments Spain can find solutions and these are the moments to keep belief and not lose faith and keep going."
Tonight's referee...
19:30 , Alan Smith... is Italy’s Davide Massa.
Filippo Meli and Alessio Berti will assist, with Matteo Marcenaro the fourth official and Marco Di Bello on VAR duty.
Yamal vs O'Reilly
19:24 , Alan SmithIf this is a final chance to impress the Ballon d’Or voters, then Nico O’Reilly faces quite the job in silencing Lamine Yamal as a favour for Harry Kane.
Lamine Yamal checking in 👋🇪🇸#NationsLeague pic.twitter.com/X8agL8vylc
— UEFA EURO (@UEFAEURO) September 26, 2026
More City analysis
19:18 , Alan SmithSo big is the Manchester City news that ITV’s pre-match build-up to this game has had a hefty enough segment on the development.
Roy Keane, everyone will be shocked to learn, was pulling no punches.
🗣️ "They were cheating and they have to take their medicine" 👀
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) September 26, 2026
The ITV Panel discuss Man City being allegedly found guilty of breaching 114 of 115 charges relating to the Premier League's financial regulations@markpougatch |@IanWright0 | @juanmata8 pic.twitter.com/Lf9GdBX9Tg
Changing of the guard?
19:12 , Lawrence OstlereJames Trafford is an interesting call in goal. Given the rest of the team is about as strong as England get right now, then is this an indication that Thomas Tuchel is looking for a new No 1?
Jordan Pickford has held the shirt for nearly a decade (he is still No 1 here and Trafford will wear 13), but his decision to kick long when under pressure were one of many reasons why England crumbled at the end of the World Cup semi-final against Argentina. Could Trafford be one piece of the new puzzle for Tuchel as he looks ahead to Euro 2028?
Spain changes
19:06 , Alan SmithLuis de la Fuente has made three changes from the team that started the World Cup final win against Spain.
Eric Garcia, Nico Williams and Ferran Torres, the goalscorer in New Jersey, are in for Pedro Porro, Alex Baena and Mikel Oyarzabal.
This will also be the debut of their shirt with two stars.
Elsewhere on Saturday
19:00 , Alan SmithOli McBurnie and Kieron Bowie both spurned big opportunities as Sebastien Pocognoli had to settle for a draw away to Slovenia in his first match since as Scotland head coach since replacing Steve Clarke.
McBurnie misses golden chance as Pocognoli starts Scotland reign with Slovenia draw
Keegan tributes
18:54 , Alan SmithThis is England’s first game since the passing of Kevin Keegan.
He is on the front of the match programme, his family will be in attendance and tributes will be paid on the pitch before kick-off.
In memory of Kevin Keegan ❤️
— England (@England) September 26, 2026
Today's official matchday programme ⤵️
Hablas espanol?
18:45 , Alan SmithAnthony Gordon has been catching up with his Barcelona pals pre-match.
Anthony Gordon catching up with some of his Barcelona teammates ❤️#ITVFootball pic.twitter.com/PeCu8N8nnn
Tuchel's big calls
18:37 , Alan SmithWhat to make of Tuchel’s selection then?
Trafford replacing Pickford is the standout given how long the Everton goalkeeper has been undisputed first choice.
Quansah getting the nod over Alexander-Arnold is less of a surprise given the World Cup selection, even if many fans would rather see the Real Madrid player involved, while it will be fascinating to see how Lewis-Skelly performs in place of absent Arsenal clubmate Rice.
Spain XI confirmed!
18:34 , Alan SmithSpain: Simon; Garcia, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Ruiz; Yamal, Olmo, Williams; Torres
England XI confirmed!
18:31 , Alan SmithEngland: Trafford; Quansah, Konsa, Guehi, O'Reilly; Anderson, Lewis-Skelly; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane
Your England team to take on Spain! 💪 pic.twitter.com/9L03iN5dl7
— England (@England) September 26, 2026
Recalling 2018
18:30 , Alan SmithEngland’s most recent Nations League meeting with Spain eight years ago was a thriller - perhaps the peak performance of Southgate’s time in charge?
Last time we met Spain in the UEFA Nations League! ⏮️ pic.twitter.com/3QltaNjkph
— England (@England) September 26, 2026
What follows Spain?
18:24 , Alan Smith... England will have THREE more games to play.
Next up will be a trip to Czechia on Tuesday, followed by a trip to Croatia next Saturday and then a fixture at home to the Czechs on Tuesday week.
Wembley awaits
18:12 , Alan SmithTickets for this one sold out very, very quickly and it should be a decent atmosphere as these games go.
Early team news?
18:06 , Alan SmithJames Trafford set to start ahead of Jordan Pickford for England against Spain tonight. Myles Lewis-Skelly in line to play in midfield with Jarell Quansah likely at right-back. https://t.co/OtwjWlk4Yt
— Sami Mokbel (@SamiMokbel_BBC) September 26, 2026
Fans begin to arrive
18:00 , Alan SmithSpanish fans marching on Wembley. Like they’ve won a trophy or something pic.twitter.com/3r3lKec6J8
'Feeling as good as ever'
17:54 , Alan Smith“I'm happy, I'm enjoying my football,” Rogers said of his own start to the new campaign. “I'm feeling as good as I've ever felt playing, contributing, scoring goals, assists, creating chances. I'm loving it. It's been challenging at times, obviously a good start and then tailored off a bit at the end, which is disappointing. But that’s football, and I just can’t wait to get going and keep going and keep pushing myself and keep trying to improve.”
Rogers defends Palmer decision
17:48 , Lawrence OstlereWhile Tuchel was speaking at Spurs, Morgan Rogers was upstairs defending his close friend and Chelsea teammate. “Unfortunately he couldn’t be here, but I think he’s got to focus on his body after what he went through last year,” Rogers told a huddle of journalists. “He needs to be in a good physical state and that obviously comes first as players. You want to be in the best fighting-fit shape if you can.”
Does Rogers miss his best mate in football, the player he roomed with for so many years playing together in England’s youth teams, and now his partner in crime at Stamford Bridge?
“Nah, I'm all right having the break from him, to be honest,” Rogers smiled. “Being around him 24/7 can be quite tough, so having the break’s quite nice. But of course, I love playing with Cole. I love being around him … I’m disappointed he’s not here, obviously, from a selfish point of view. But I know it’ll do him the greater good moving forward, that we can get the best version of him throughout the whole season and in an England shirt moving forward.
“I think as a nation you want Cole Palmer and players like that in an English shirt, but it’s not always possible with the games and what we’ve got coming up. You have to manage yourself, especially after what he went through last year, he doesn’t want to go through that again. So he’s made a decision for himself to look after his body.”
Where is Cole Palmer?
17:42 , Lawrence OstlereEngland have been based at Tottenham’s training complex in London this week, and on Friday the building was the scene of a flurry of media activity. There were questions about Saturday night’s opponents Spain, questions about English identity, questions about how players get over the heartache of losing to Argentina. But the most emotive was not really about football at all: where is Cole Palmer?
The answer was in the Caribbean, with a personal rehab coach to work on his fitness. Palmer’s decision to pull out of this three-week, four-game England camp was put down to “load management” after a campaign disrupted by injury last season. It clearly irked England manager Thomas Tuchel.
“He misses too many opportunities,” said Tuchel. “I don’t blame him for it. It is just a fact. He misses way too many camps with injuries. I only want to rely on what I witness and see within my team, and for that you have to be in camp.”
Morgan Rogers: ‘I’m disappointed Palmer’s not here but he’s looking after his body’
The final twist in a bitter Ballon d’Or race
17:36 , Lawrence OstlereVoting for the Ballon d’Or closes next week, and by a quirk of the fixture list it just so happens that the two favourites for the award meet at Wembley on Saturday night. England’s brave bronze men take on Spain’s World Cup winners, and beyond the chance to take charge of 2026/27 Uefa Nations League 1C, the game offers Harry Kane and Lamine Yamal one last opportunity to woo swing voters.
Welcome to the Ballon d’Or 2026, a world of allegiance and betrayal, of politics and legacy, like Succession meets Real Housewives. The award has become more tribal than ever, contested by such fragile egos that nobody can say what they really think. Players now launch full-blown PR campaigns, and at this point we are really only one step away from direct canvassing, from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia knocking on Henry Winter’s door with a pamphlet titled “A Vote For Kvara Is A Vote For Change”.
Kane v Yamal at Wembley is the final twist in a bitter Ballon d’Or race
‘The aura has gone’: Inside Thomas Tuchel’s fight to prevent England mutiny
17:30 , Mike JonesWith England players now said to feel the way they went out of the World Cup will be ‘talked about in 30 years’, the danger for Tuchel is that he doesn't have the same ‘respect’ in the dressing room, writes Miguel Delaney in his latest Inside Football newsletter:
‘The aura has gone’: Inside Thomas Tuchel’s fight to prevent England mutiny
Spain's early team news
17:24 , Mike JonesSpain are missing Pedro Porro and Joan Garcia, while Marcos Llorente has retired from the international game.
Predicted Spain XI: Simon; E Garcia, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, N Williams; Oyarzabal
England's early team news
17:18 , Mike JonesThomas Tuchel has seen a raft of withdrawals from his squad, with Cole Palmer, Declan Rice, Tino Livramento, Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo all pulling out injured, while the likes of Reece James and John Stones were unavailable for selection anyway due to injury.
Morgan Gibbs-White and James Garner have been called up as replacements.
Predicted England XI: Pickford; Quansah, Konsa, Guehi, O’Reilly; Anderson, Scott; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane
How can I watch it?
17:12 , Mike JonesEngland v Spain will be broadcast ITV1 and viewers in the United Kingdom can stream the game on ITVX.
Coverage begins at 6.45pm.
When is England v Spain?
17:06 , Mike JonesEngland face Spain at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 26 September, with kick-off at 7.45pm BST.
England vs Spain
17:00 , Mike JonesEngland return to action for the first time since heartbreak in the World Cup semi-finals and their subsequent victory in the third-place play-off, as they face Spain in the opening fixture of this season’s Nations League.
Thomas Tuchel’s men have been given a tough task in their Nations League A3 group opener, against the world and European champions, with this the two sides’ first meeting since the Euro 2024 final - another crushing loss for the Three Lions.
Luis de la Fuente has signed a contract to extend his spell as Spain head coach until at least 2032, while Tuchel remains at the helm of England despite an inquest into their World Cup disappointment, and all eyes will be on his side as they look to bounce back.
The Wembley clash will also see two of the contenders for this year’s Ballon d’Or go head-to-head, as England captain Harry Kane goes up against Spain’s star forward Lamine Yamal. Kane scored an incredible 73 goals for club and country last season.
Good afternoon!
14:17 , Mike JonesWelcome to The Independent’s coverage of England’s Nations League opener against world and European champions Spain.
It’s the start of the next stage of the Thomas Tuchel era as the manager aims to build-up on England’s third place at the World Cup this summer.
In this match, England’s first since that tournament, the Three Lions face a difficult test tonight at Wembley but it is one they will relish.
Tuchel needs to prove his team can compete with the best teams in the world and a victory over Spain would show they have the ability to win silverware.
We’ll have all the latest news, updates and line-ups from Wembley as we build-up to kick off at 7.45pm.
