It was exhilarating, and then it was desperate, but England have punctured Spain’s invincibility.
The world champions had not lost a competitive game for 44 matches before Thomas Tuchel’s side arrived in Madrid, their record a fair reflection of their dominance over international football in the last two years.
But that record was shredded after England streaked into a 3-0 lead courtesy of Harry Kane’s penalty, Ezri Konsa’s header and Ben White’s fine finish, and then clung on nervously as Elliot Anderson’s red card sparked a late Spanish fightback.
Mikel Oyarzabal’s penalty and Nico Williams’ swept finish made it 3-2, but despite a welter of late pressure, England somehow held firm. With this impressive result, Tuchel’s side finished top of their group and are into the Nations League quarter-finals in the top section.
How good were England?
England needed a big performance here to conclude their rollercoaster 2026 in the perfect way. They delivered, for almost exactly one hour, the best England performance for a generation.
Thomas Tuchel has often spoken about getting England to play with the physical intensity of a Premier League team. It has been apparent in a few moments, like the second half against Croatia in Dallas in their World Cup opener. But here in Madrid in the first 10 minutes there was another full dosage of Tuchel’s dream football.
The opening sequence here was the most thrilling football you will ever see from an England side. They pushed high, pressed high and created enough chances to take the game far away from Spain. They did not capitalise then, but still went into a 3-0 lead: from a Harry Kane penalty, an Ezri Konsa header from a corner and then a brilliant team goal that ended with Ben White overlapping and converting Bellingham’s pass.
Tuchel has spoken for months about the importance of ‘closing the gap’ to the world’s best teams. After an hour it felt like the gap had been closed. But then Anderson got sent off for pulling down Lamine and the game was transformed.
Jack Pitt-Brooke
Did Tuchel’s subs work?
Thomas Tuchel’s changes were instructed by the red card, clearly, and then by the Spanish comeback.
Harry Kane for Miles Lewis-Skelly was bold but sensible, given his qualities in defence and midfield. Similarly, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin for Anthony Gordon and Djed Spence for Jude Bellingham were both decisions that made England weaker and reduced their attacking threat, they had each made a titanic effort over the previous 82 minutes; England needed energy and security and, ultimately, they got them.
Thomas Tuchel celebrates victory (Carl Recine/Getty Images)
It’s tempting to see everything now through the prism of that Argentina semi-final at the World Cup. While that’s understandable for as long as it remains fresh, Tuchel still has to be judged on the merits of his decisions within specific contexts. This was a good example; the extra bodies, the added defensive expertise and the additional height (Dan Burn replaced Ben White in stoppage time) ultimately helped England over the line.
There is a time to sit back and dig in. Atlanta over the summer was not that moment. But this was, so Tuchel regains some credit. He got these substitutions right.
Seb Stafford-Bloor
How good was Trafford?
The first hour tonight was pretty serene for James Trafford, playing by far the most high profile international game of his career so far.
The last 30 minutes were another type of experience altogether, but he came through it exceptionally well, justifying Thomas Tuchel’s decision to field him in such a big occasion.
Trafford could do nothing about either of the Spain goals, but then the crucial moment came in added time. It seemed that first Fermin Lopez and then Lamine Yamal were sure to score, but the Leeds United man came to his team’s rescue with two excellent point-blank stops to ensure a famous win for England.
Dermot Corrigan
James Trafford was superb late on (Thomas Coex/AFP via Getty Images)
Is there a way back for Cole Palmer?
One of the controversies ahead of this international period was Thomas Tuchel’s omission of Cole Palmer. On this evidence, though, and the form and functionality of the players being picked ahead of him, there’s no real argument.
Tuchel’s front-four — Harry Kane, Morgan Rogers, Anthony Gordon and Jude Bellingham — were magnificent in concert, but also brought different individual elements to an attack loaded with chemistry. Palmer is nowhere close to being the player Bellingham is, nor does he offer the same blend of dynamism, threat, and work off-the-ball that Rogers and Gordon provide.
Jude Bellingham delivered a powerhouse performance (Carl Recine/Getty Images)
That can change. Players improve and develop all the time and, of course, they cycle in and out of form. But, for now, Tuchel has this right and Palmer remains a long way short of his international competition. Yes, there’s an argument that he’s worth a place in reserve, but does his game — as a wandering creator, prone to dropping in and out of games — really fit the England that Tuchel is building?
Seb Stafford-Bloor
What does this mean for Spain?
Spain went into this game 43 competitive matches unbeaten. They had also won their last 12, including a 3-2 victor at Wembley in September.
But no more. Spain’s defenders are never really that comfortable when asked to defend for long periods near their own goal. That usually rarely happens as the midfield controls possession and territory, which just did not happen for the first hour tonight.
And England made them pay, Marc Cucurella especially. He was knocked over by Elliot Anderson just before Harry Kane’s penalty opener, was marking Ezri Konza but let him get free for 2-0 and was pulled across leaving lots of open space which Ben White exploited to make it three.
But this Spain team also has the character and confidence of champions. Thousands of fans inside the stadium were chanting ‘si se puede’ even before Mikel Oyarzabal converted the penalty won by Lamine Yamal, knowing their team had more than 25 minutes left to play against 10 men.
La Roja took control from then on, dominating possession and territory and peppering the England goal with shots but ultimately fell to a first competitive defeat since March 2023, in Scotland, soon after De la Fuente had taken charge.
That defeat in Glasgow led then Spanish federation president Luis Rubiales to consider firing De la Fuente but the wobble was soon ended. With the Euro 2024 and World Cup 2026 titles since won, there is no chance of Spain thinking about changing anything after this game.
Their historic runs are over, but Spain are through to the Nations League last eight regardless.
Dermot Corrigan
Was Cucurella fouled in the build-up to England’s penalty?
There was no debate over Harry Kane was fouled in the area by Pau Cubarsi for the penalty he then converted, but Marc Cucurella felt he should have been given a free-kick after colliding with Elliot Anderson just before the midfielder’s pass set Kane clear.
Did he have a point? We asked Graham Scott, former Premier League referee and The Athletic‘s expert columnist.
“Cucurella was surely appealing for a foul in the build up to England’s penalty out of hope rather than expectation,” he said. “Anderson played the ball and his follow through was in no way reckless or excessive. The contact that occurred was normal and inevitable, so referee Clement Turpin was right to play on.
“As we know, slow-motion replays can distort such challenges, but not this time, and the on-field decision was supported by VAR.
“Cucurella rarely passes up the opportunity to appeal vehemently when he suspects wrongdoing, so referees as experienced as Turpin are accustomed to treating his protests with appropriate scepticism.”
How did Yamal play?
Much of the build-up to the game locally was dominated by a mini-row as some Madrid-based reporters claimed Barcelona star Lamine Yamal had been ‘excused’ Thursday’s game in Czechia, and Spain coach Luis de la Fuente hit back forcefully against media “lies” which he described as “lamentable”.
With England physically dominating Spain through the early stages, Yamal got little chance to show he had overcome the knee issue which had required rest and treatment earlier in the week.
The 19-year-old looked eager to make, coming deep to take the ball and driving forward to ease the pressure on his team’s defence. One such dribble saw him tease England left-back Lewis Hall into a challenge, which left the Newcastle player looking silly as the ball was slipped between his legs. Covering was Declan Rice, who decided he needed to trip Yamal, a foul which brought a yellow card.
Lamine Yamal nutmegs Lewis Hall before being brought down by Declan Rice (Carl Recine/Getty Images)
There was soon another nutmeg from Yamal, as he passed the ball through the legs of his Barca teammate Anthony Gordon and into the path of Alex Baena in a dangerous area deep in the England half.
These interventions drew huge cheers from the home crowd at the 70,000-capacity Estadio Metropolitano, but Yamal did not really threaten the England goal during the first 45 minutes.
The closest he came was when he skipped inside Hall again, to launch a trademark curler from the right side of the penalty area, which flew just too high past the far post.
Even at 3-0 down, Yamal would not accept the game was over. His tenacity in pressing Jarell Quansah and then racing behind Anderson won the penalty from which Mikel Oyarzabal pulled one back for Spain and then he set up Nico Williams for Spain’s second with a cute pass. He was also denied an equaliser by a superb Trafford save late on.
Dermot Corrigan
