London’s Wembley Stadium opens the 2026/27 Nations League with a meeting carrying the weight of recent finals and a newly settled world order. Spain, fresh from a second World Cup title, visit an England side that finished third at the tournament, with a full house expected on Saturday.
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England and Spain meet for the first time since the Euro 2024 final, when Spain won 2-1 on 14 July. Nico Williams and Mikel Oyarzabal scored for La Roja, while Cole Palmer replied for England.
Williams and Oyarzabal are available again, but Palmer will miss the Wembley reunion through injury. England have also lost Declan Rice, Kobbie Mainoo, Tino Livramento and Marcus Rashford from Thomas Tuchel’s original squad.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has welcomed the scale of the assignment for his world champions’ first match after lifting the trophy. He described England as an ideal opponent for the unveiling of Spain’s second star and expected an occasion fitting such a historic international pairing.
De la Fuente also insisted that Spain will not treat the Nations League lightly. He said his players remain driven to collect more honours, arguing that their achievements so far do not represent the limit of a squad he believes can still improve considerably.
Tuchel, meanwhile, dismissed the suggestion that England supporters could turn uneasy after the World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina. England had protected a 1-0 lead until late in that match before their tournament ended. The German coach said he would be surprised if a third-place finish or an 85th-minute setback in a semi-final damaged the relationship between the team and its public.
For Tuchel, the rapid sale of tickets is the clearer measure of the mood in the capital: supporters are eager to see England take on the world champions at home.
Wembley calendar
| Match | Date and time | Venue | Match official |
|---|---|---|---|
| England v Spain | Saturday, 26 September 2026, 15:45 Brasília time | Wembley Stadium, London | Davide Massa, Italy |
The match will be shown on ESPN and Disney+.
Expected teams
- England: Pickford; Quansah, Konsa, Guéhi, O’Reilly; Elliot Anderson, Bellingham, Morgan Rogers; Saka, Gordon, Kane. Coach: Thomas Tuchel.
- Spain: Unai Simón; Eric García, Cubarsí, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Fabián Ruiz, Pedri; Álex Baena, Yamal, Oyarzabal. Coach: Luis de la Fuente.
