Key Points
- England host world champions Spain at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 26, with kickoff at 19:45 BST (23:45 PKT, 2:45 p.m. ET), in League A Group 3 of the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League.
- Cole Palmer, Declan Rice, Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford and Tino Livramento have withdrawn from Thomas Tuchel’s squad, with Morgan Gibbs-White and James Garner called up as replacements.
- Spain are without Joan García and Pedro Porro through injury, and Sports Illustrated says La Roja have gone 38 matches without losing in 90 minutes.
- It is the first meeting between the sides since Spain won the Euro 2024 final, and the first match for both since the 2026 World Cup, where Spain took the title and England finished third after a semifinal defeat.
- UK viewers can watch on ITV1 and ITVX; in the US the match airs on Fox Sports 2, with streaming on Fox One.
England vs Spain in the Nations League gives Thomas Tuchel’s side its first shot at the team that beat England in the Euro 2024 final. The world champions visit Wembley Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 26, and kickoff is at 19:45 BST, which is 23:45 PKT and 2:45 p.m. ET.
It is the opening League A Group 3 match of the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League for both teams, according to BBC Sport, and the first time they have met since Spain beat England in the Euro 2024 final on July 14, 2024. Croatia and the Czech Republic complete the group.
Kickoff time and how to watch
The match starts at 19:45 BST at Wembley. In Pakistan, that is 23:45 PKT on Saturday night; in the eastern United States it is 2:45 p.m. ET, and 11:45 a.m. PT. Wembley Stadium says the match is expected to finish at about 21:30 BST, or 2:30 a.m. PKT on Sunday.
In the UK, the game is live on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player. In the US, coverage is on Fox Sports 2 and Fox One, with streaming via fuboTV and ViX, according to Sports Illustrated. Canadian viewers can use DAZN Canada or fuboTV Canada. Italian referee Davide Massa takes charge, with compatriot Marco Di Bello on VAR, SI reported.
Tuchel’s absences
Tuchel has been hit hard by withdrawals. Cole Palmer, Declan Rice, Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford and Tino Livramento all pulled out of the squad with fitness problems, and the England head coach called up just two replacements, Morgan Gibbs-White and James Garner, according to SI and the Evening Standard.
SI also listed Reece James, John Stones and Djed Spence as injured, while Ollie Watkins, Phil Foden and Noni Madueke were left out. Trent Alexander-Arnold is among the players recalled, along with Rio Ngumoha, Jarrad Branthwaite, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
The Standard reported that all 24 squad members trained on Thursday, with no fresh doubts, after Newcastle left-back Lewis Hall missed Wednesday’s session.
The biggest question is at right-back. Asked on Friday whether Alexander-Arnold would start, Tuchel said: “I will not tell you, of course. He will fight with Jarell Quansah for the position. That’s what the competition is,” the Standard reported.
Midfield is the other puzzle. With Rice and Mainoo missing, Elliot Anderson needs a new partner. The Standard named Lewis-Skelly and Bournemouth’s Alex Scott as contenders, with Jude Bellingham also able to drop deeper. SI said Scott has a strong chance of a first cap.
Spain arrive as world champions
Spain come to London having beaten Argentina in the World Cup final. SI says Luis de la Fuente’s side have gone 38 matches without losing in 90 minutes since a friendly defeat to Colombia in March 2024, which it calls the longest such streak for a European nation.
De la Fuente is without Joan García and Pedro Porro through injury, SI reported. With Marcos Llorente retired from international football, Eric García is expected to fill in at right-back. Pedri and Fabián Ruiz are competing to partner Rodri in midfield, while Nico Williams could start on the left and Mikel Oyarzabal is expected to lead the line ahead of Ferran Torres, who scored the World Cup final winner.
England were knocked out of the World Cup in the semifinals by Argentina before beating France in the third-place playoff, ESPN reported. Tuchel faced heavy criticism for his defensive substitutions in the semifinal, SI noted, and a strong Nations League campaign would help him win back supporters.
Predicted lineups
Official team sheets have not yet been released, and the two previews below differ, so treat both as predictions only.
SI predicted England (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Konsa, Guéhi, O’Reilly; Anderson, Scott; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane.
The Standard’s predicted England XI instead has Quansah at right-back, Bellingham alongside Anderson in midfield and Rogers at No. 10.
SI predicted Spain (4-2-3-1): Simón; Eric García, Cubarsí, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Williams; Oyarzabal.
Head-to-head
Spain have won six of the last nine meetings, according to SI. Their last Wembley visit brought a Nations League win in September 2018, though England won the return fixture in Spain that October, BBC Sport records show. SI also noted that England have won only two of their previous 13 games against reigning world champions, one of them against Spain in 2011.
What comes next
After Spain, England play Croatia home and away and the Czech Republic over the following 10 days, the Standard reported. The two sides meet again in the Nations League in Madrid on Nov. 15, according to ESPN.
For more football coverage, visit the LiveNewsWorld soccer section, revisit our guide to the 2026 FIFA World Cup schedule and format, or look back at the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
With key midfielders missing and the world champions in town, England vs Spain in the Nations League shapes up as an early, demanding test for Tuchel’s side.
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