Harry Kane had already pulled England back into a breathless Wembley contest when the moment that could have settled the night slipped beneath him. Spain left London with a 3-2 victory on Saturday, but the defining image for the hosts was their captain falling as he struck a second-half penalty and watching the ball crash against Unai Simon’s crossbar.
England had been shaken almost immediately by Lamine Yamal’s second-minute opener, yet recovered impressively against the world champions. The Three Lions drew level, moved ahead and briefly looked capable of opening a decisive gap in a match that repeatedly swung from one end to the other.
Kane’s chance to put England two ahead
Kane had made his mark before the interval, heading England back into the game for his 86th international goal in 122 appearances. Marc Cucurella’s right thigh helped the ball on its way into the Spanish net, but the finish added another landmark to the England captain’s remarkable record.
The Bayern Munich striker was then presented with the chance to make it 87 goals for his country in the 54th minute. Rodri had fouled Jude Bellingham inside the area, giving Kane an opportunity to send England two goals clear.
Instead, Kane’s standing foot slipped just before he made contact. His attempt hit Simon’s bar, although a goal would not have counted: the slip caused a double touch, and Italian referee Davide Massa awarded Spain an indirect free-kick.
It was a rare miss from a player who has been one of international football’s most reliable penalty takers. Kane, now aged 33, had not failed from the spot for England since his missed attempt against Hugo Lloris in the 2022 World Cup quarter-final. This was only his second missed England penalty from 10 taken.
Spain seize the opening
The missed penalty changed the temperature of the match. Spain were level again six minutes later through Alex Baena, before completing a 3-2 win in a game England had threatened to control.
Anthony Gordon felt the penalty was the dividing line. “Had it gone in, I think we would have won,” the winger said after the final whistle.
England continued to lean heavily on Bellingham’s quality as they tried to stay in the contest, while Spain showed enough resilience to recover from their difficult periods and take the result.
For Kane, the evening brought both another international scoring milestone and an unusually painful regret. He arrives at the next Ballon d’Or ceremony after a prolific campaign in which he scored 73 goals for Bayern Munich and England, but Wembley denied him the chance to become the central hero of a prestigious international night.
