England begin their UEFA Nations League Group A3 campaign on Saturday, September 26, hosting European and World Cup champions Spain at Wembley Stadium with a 7.45pm BST kick-off broadcast live on ITV1.
Wembley Fixture Revives Euro 2024 Rivalry
Saturday’s clash marks the first meeting between the two sides since Spain’s 2-1 victory in the Euro 2024 final at Berlin’s Olympiastadion, where Mikel Oyarzabal secured the trophy with an 86th-minute strike. England head into the fixture following a turbulent summer campaign that ended in a semi-final defeat to Argentina at the World Cup, a tournament where Spain lifted the trophy by beating Argentina 1-0 after extra time.
La Roja conceded just one goal across eight matches during the North American World Cup, though manager Luis de la Fuente’s side played out significantly higher-scoring fixtures in the previous 2024-25 Nations League cycle. That campaign included a 2-2 draw and penalty shootout defeat to Portugal in the final, a 5-5 aggregate quarter-final win over the Netherlands, and a 5-4 semi-final victory against France.
Squad Updates and Predicted Line-Ups
England manager selection options have been constrained by a wave of withdrawals. Cole Palmer, Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo, Tino Livramento, and key midfielder Declan Rice are missing from the squad, prompting late call-ups for Morgan Gibbs-White and James Garner. Jarell Quansah and Trent Alexander-Arnold are competing for the starting right-back role.
England Predicted Line-Up (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Quansah, Konsa, Guehi, O’Reilly; Anderson, Lewis-Skelly; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane.
Spain Predicted Line-Up (4-2-3-1): Simon; E Garcia, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Ruiz; Yamal, Olmo, N Williams; Oyarzabal.
Spain travel to London without injured goalkeeper Joan Garcia and right-back Pedro Porro, bringing uncapped Espanyol striker Roberto Fernandez into the setup. Paris Saint-Germain forward Ferran Torres arrives in sharp form, having scored eight goals in his last seven appearances for club and country.
Betting Context and Key Statistics
Bookmaker odds priced England at 2-1 to win at Wembley, with Spain installed as 11-8 favourites and the draw available at 12-5. Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham enters the fixture on a hot scoring streak after netting seven goals at the World Cup—outscored only by Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi—alongside three goals in his opening five La Liga appearances this term.
Did you know? Both teams scored in each of Spain’s last six Nations League fixtures, as well as in England’s final five matches at the World Cup.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is England vs Spain in the Nations League?
The match takes place on Saturday, September 26, with kick-off scheduled for 7.45pm BST.
Where is the match being played?
The fixture is hosted at Wembley Stadium in London.
How can I watch England vs Spain on TV in the UK?
ITV1 is broadcasting the game live.
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