France have become a familiar target in Spain’s glittering international run. The latest proof arrived at Wembley on Saturday, where La Roja came from behind to beat England 3-2 in the Nations League, with Mikel Oyarzabal again on the scoresheet.
Key takeaways
- Spain defeated England 3-2 at Wembley in a Nations League match on Saturday.
- Luis de la Fuente’s team have won all nine matches played against World Cup-winning nations across the past two years.
- France have been beaten by Spain three times during that sequence.
- Oyarzabal has recorded 18 goals and seven assists in his last 20 Spain appearances.
- The 29-year-old Real Sociedad forward is still waiting for his first club goal of the season.
Spain’s record against the elite
European champions in 2024 and World Cup winners in 2026, Spain have built their recent dominance against the game’s biggest international names rather than through a gentle schedule.
Their nine-match winning streak against former world champions began during the European Championship, when Italy, Germany, France and England were all beaten. France were then overcome again in the Nations League and at this summer’s World Cup.
Uruguay and Argentina were also defeated during the same two-year spell, before England became the latest major nation to fall. For Didier Deschamps and Les Bleus, Spain have proved particularly troublesome: three of those nine victories came against France.
Oyarzabal’s international surge
Lamine Yamal has supplied much of Spain’s youthful electricity, while De la Fuente has overseen the wider rise, but Oyarzabal has become one of the decisive figures in the final third.
The Real Sociedad attacker’s goal against England extended an extraordinary return for the national team. Across his last 20 caps, he has scored 18 times and provided seven assists.
That form contrasts sharply with his domestic start to the campaign. Despite his impact for Spain, Oyarzabal has not yet found the net for Real Sociedad this season.
