England vs Spain LIVE: Nations League match stream, confirmed team news, lineups, fan reaction
Thomas Tuchel’s England return to Wembley Stadium tonight, hosting newly-crowned world champions Spain in their Nations League opener. Tonight is the start of the long road to qualifying for EURO 2028, and Thomas Tuchel already finds himself under a bit of pressure, due to the Three Lions’ disappointing World Cup and his recent comments in the media. Victory tonight, of course, might help to convince some sceptics of the Tuchel project, but he has his work cut out for him.
It has already been a somewhat controversial camp, with a number of players including Cole Palmer and Declan Rice dropping out of the squad, citing injuries or load management. The Spain camp has befallen a similar fate, though, with the likes of Favi, Pedro Porro, Borja Iglesias and Joan Garcia all missing through injury.
La Roja come into this match unbeaten in the last two-and-a-half years, and are facing England for the first time since breaking British hearts in the final of Euro 2024. Follow the match LIVE below with dedicated match blog, with expert insight and analysis from Dom Smith at Wembley Stadium.
England vs Spain latest news
Live updates
Inside the dressing room...
One to watch
Lamine Yamal has made an incredible start to the season and starts for Spain today.
He is back in the running for the Ballon d’Or, and his form has not skipped a beat.
The opening days of the La Liga season have seen him pick up seven goals and four assists... in just seven appearances.
He will give Nico O’Reilly a run for his money today.
Tuchel on Palmer's absence
"My understanding is that he cannot compete at the highest level with discomfort and pain. So he withdrew and informed us, and Chelsea informed us.
"For sure. It is a missed opportunity. He misses too many opportunities. I don't blame him for it. It is just a fact.
"He misses way too many camps with injuries, and I only want to rely on what I witness and see within in my team, and for that you have to be in camp.
"And if you're not in camp, there is a next level to impress that you cannot achieve because you can only do it when you are actually on the pitch with me. So yes, it is a missed opportunity."
Dom Smith at Wembley Stadium
Real opportunity for Lewis-Skelly to impress in midfield tonight. Handed an opportunity as Anderson’s partner after drop-outs and injuries. He must make good on it.
Mix and mingle...
England and Spain meet and greet ahead of kick-off...
England team news
As was widely reported ahead of kick-off, James Trafford does indeed take Jordan Pickford’s place between the sticks. Thomas Tuchel may well be looking at a contingency plan there, with Pickford now 32.
And in midfield, it is indeed a pivot of Myles Lewis-Skelly and Elliott Anderson behind the No10 Jude Bellingham.
Beyond that it is effectively a full-strength squad, though there are some strong options on the bench in Lewis Hall, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Eberechi Eze.
Simon, Cubarsi, Garcia, Laporte, Cucurella, Rodri, Fabian, Olmo, Yamal, Williams, Torres
England XI vs Spain: Trafford, O’Reilly, Konsa, Guehi, Quansah, Lewis-Skelly, Anderson, Bellingham, Gordon, Kane, Saka
Pickford, Alexander-Arnold, Scott, Chalobah, Hall, Branthwaite, Rogers, Garner, Calvert-Lewin, Gibbs-White, Eze, Steele
Opta match facts
England have won just two of their last 13 games against the reigning FIFA World Cup holders, losing nine times (D2); those wins came at home to Spain in November 2011 (1-0) and away to Germany in March 2016 (3-2).
Spain have won six of their last nine meetings with England across all competitions (D1 L2), most recently winning 2-1 in the final of the 2024 UEFA European Championship. Their last away game vs the Three Lions also ended 2-1, at Wembley in the UEFA Nations League in September 2018.
Only Cristiano Ronaldo (8) scored more goals in League A of the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League than Spain’s Mikey Oyarzabal (4), who has 26 goals involvements across his last 25 international appearances (19 goals, 7 assists) – that run started with the winning goal against England in the 2024 UEFA EURO final.
Thomas Tuchel has the best win rate of any England manager in history to take charge of 10+ games (77% - P22 W17 D2 L3), while the Three Lions only average more goals under Walter Winterbottom (2.8) than Tuchel (2.3).
Atmosphere building at Wembley...
