Spain Stun England 3-2 at Wembley as Lamine Yamal and Oyarzabal Inspire Nations League Comeback

Spain secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over England at Wembley Stadium on September 26, 2026.

Spain began their 2026/27 UEFA Nations League campaign with a dramatic 3-2 victory over England at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, September 26, overturning a 2-1 deficit in a match filled with early goals, defensive mistakes and a missed penalty.

Lamine Yamal opened the scoring inside two minutes before Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane turned the match around for England before half-time. However, the reigning world champions responded through second-half goals from Álex Baena and Mikel Oyarzabal, securing all three points in their opening Group A3 fixture.

UEFA Nations League, Group A3. Full time, September 26, 2026. England 2, Spain 3. Venue: Wembley Stadium, London.

Lamine Yamal strikes inside two minutes

Spain could hardly have asked for a better start.

Less than two minutes after kick-off, Lamine Yamal capitalised on a mistake from England defender Marc Guéhi, winning possession before curling the ball into the net. The early goal immediately put Thomas Tuchel's side under pressure and gave Spain the opportunity to control the opening stages. Ferran Torres briefly appeared to have doubled the visitors' advantage, but his effort was ruled out for offside.

England eventually found a response in the 36th minute. Jude Bellingham carried the ball forward before releasing Anthony Gordon, who finished past goalkeeper Unai Simón to bring the hosts level.

Just four minutes later, England completed the turnaround. Nico O'Reilly delivered a cross into the penalty area, and Harry Kane's header found the net following a deflection off Spain defender Marc Cucurella. England entered the break leading 2-1 despite Spain having enjoyed more possession and created several opportunities during the first half.

Harry Kane's missed penalty changes the momentum

The defining moment of the second half arrived when England were awarded a penalty following a challenge by Rodri on Jude Bellingham.

With England leading 2-1, Kane had the opportunity to extend the advantage and put Spain under further pressure. Instead, the England captain lost his balance and clipped the crossbar with his effort in the 54th minute. Notably, replays showed Kane's standing foot had touched the ball fractionally before his kicking foot made contact, meaning the goal would likely have been disallowed under IFAB rules even had it gone in.

Wembley had witnessed a potentially decisive moment. Spain responded almost immediately. Substitute Dani Olmo helped create an opportunity for Álex Baena, who curled his effort past England goalkeeper James Trafford to equalise in the 60th minute. The match was level again, and Spain had regained momentum.

Oyarzabal completes Spain's comeback

Spain's winning goal arrived in the 74th minute.

Baena, who had already scored the equaliser, turned provider with a pass that cut through England's defensive structure. Mikel Oyarzabal finished the move with a composed chip over Trafford, completing Spain's comeback and giving the visitors a 3-2 lead.

The goal was another significant contribution from a player who had previously scored the winner against England in the UEFA Euro 2024 final. England were unable to find another equaliser, leaving Spain to celebrate a victory in their first competitive match since winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Spain's world champions begin another campaign with a statement

The match carried added significance because it brought together two teams that had reached the latter stages of the 2026 World Cup. Spain arrived at Wembley having defeated Argentina to become world champions, while England finished third after losing to Argentina in the semi-finals.

For Spain manager Luis de la Fuente, the result provided an encouraging start to another international campaign. His team demonstrated the ability to recover from a difficult first half and change the match through substitutions. Baena and Oyarzabal both made decisive contributions after entering the game, while Yamal's early goal established Spain's attacking threat from the opening minutes.

For England, the defeat highlighted several areas that will be examined ahead of their remaining Nations League fixtures. Tuchel's side showed attacking quality through Bellingham, Gordon and Kane, but defensive mistakes and the missed penalty contributed to a frustrating opening result.

What happens next for England and Spain?

Both teams will return to Nations League action on Tuesday, September 29. Spain will host Croatia at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium in Seville, while England face Czechia away from home.

The two countries will meet again at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid on November 15 in the final round of the league phase, a fixture that could prove decisive in Spain's bid to reach a fourth consecutive Nations League Finals. Overall, the two nations have now met 29 times, with England still holding the head-to-head edge on wins.

The opening match has already delivered one of the competition's early talking points. Spain's victory extends their recent run of significant results against England, following their 2-1 triumph in the Euro 2024 final. For England, attention now turns to recovering from the Wembley defeat and building momentum during the remaining group fixtures. For Spain, the comeback provides another chapter in a period that has seen the national team win the 2023 Nations League, Euro 2024 and the 2026 World Cup under De la Fuente.