England 2-3 Spain: Yamal, Baena and Oyarzabal turn Wembley around in the second half
England led at half-time through Anthony Gordon and a Harry Kane header, and still lost. Spain, the world champions, scored three times at Wembley on Saturday 26 September to take control of Nations League Group A3 — here is how it happened, and the shirts that follow both squads.
Quick answers
- Final score: England 2-3 Spain at Wembley Stadium, Saturday 26 September 2026. Attendance 84,525.
- Lamine Yamal put Spain ahead after 2 minutes; Anthony Gordon equalised on 36 and Harry Kane headed England in front on 40.
- Spain turned it in the second half: Álex Baena on 60, Mikel Oyarzabal on 74.
- Harry Kane missed a penalty on 54 minutes, with England leading 2-1 — won by Jude Bellingham after a Rodri foul and confirmed by VAR.
- Spain top Group A3 with 3 points; Croatia join them on 3 after beating Czechia 2-1. England and Czechia have 0.
- Group A3 completes matchday 2 on Tuesday 29 September: Czechia vs England in Prague and Spain vs Croatia, both 20:45 CET.
- England also play Croatia in Rijeka on 3 October — behind closed doors after a UEFA sanction — and host Czechia on 6 October.
The short answer. England lost a game they led at half-time. Yamal scored inside two minutes, Gordon and Kane turned it around before the break, and then England missed a penalty at 2-1 and Spain took over: Baena on 60, Oyarzabal on 74. The world champions left Wembley with a 3-2 win and top spot in Group A3, and both sides now go into Tuesday’s double-header — England in Prague, Spain against Croatia — with entirely different moods.
How it happened, goal by goal
| Min | Score | Goal | How it went in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2' | 0–1 | Lamine Yamal (Spain) | Left-footed from the centre of the box, into the bottom left corner |
| 36' | 1–1 | Anthony Gordon (England) | Right-footed from outside the box, assisted by Jude Bellingham on a fast break |
| 40' | 2–1 | Harry Kane (England) | Header from the centre of the box, off a Nico O’Reilly cross |
| 60' | 2–2 | Álex Baena (Spain) | Right-footed from outside the box, assisted by Dani Olmo |
| 74' | 2–3 | Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain) | Left-footed from the centre of the box, assisted by Baena — the winner |
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Half-time: England 2-1 Spain. The game was played in front of 84,525 at Wembley, and England’s three bookings went to Nico O’Reilly, Marc Guéhi and Jude Bellingham. Spain also lost time to a second-half injury delay for Marc Cucurella; England never regained the lead after the 60th minute.
The turning points
The two-minute goal that reset the evening
England had barely touched the ball in the Spain half when Lamine Yamal cut in and finished left-footed from the centre of the box after two minutes. It was the fastest possible answer to the pre-match question — whether a Wembley crowd of 84,525 could pin the world champions back — and it forced England to play the kind of open game Spain are happiest in.
Gordon and Kane turned it around before the break
The response was real. Anthony Gordon equalised on 36 minutes with a right-footed strike from outside the box, Jude Bellingham winning the ball and releasing him on a fast break. Four minutes later Harry Kane headed England in front from a Nico O’Reilly cross, and Wembley had its 2-1 at half-time.
The penalty miss at 2-1
Early in the second half England had the chance to go 3-1 up from the spot. Harry Kane, right-footed, put it wide to the right. At 2-1 that was the difference between a two-goal cushion and a one-goal lead; at 2-2 it was the moment the game stopped belonging to England.
Baena and Oyarzabal finished it
Spain’s substitutes changed the mathematics. Álex Baena equalised on 60 minutes with a strike from outside the box after Dani Olmo’s pass, and on 74 Mikel Oyarzabal — assisted by Baena — put Spain ahead with a left-footed finish from the centre of the box. Three Spanish goals, three different scorers, and two of them after England had led.
What it does to Group A3
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spain | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2 | Croatia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | England | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 4 | Czechia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
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Spain lead on goals scored; Croatia match them on points after winning 2-1 in Prague. Matchday 1 pairs the same four teams again on Tuesday, and it is the only League A group that plays both of its matches on one night.
The rest of matchday 1
| Kick-off | Result |
|---|---|
| 15:00 CET / 9:00 ET | Slovenia 0-0 Scotland |
| 18:00 CET / 12:00 ET | Bulgaria 1-2 Luxembourg |
| 18:00 CET / 12:00 ET | Faroe Islands 1-1 Kazakhstan |
| 18:00 CET / 12:00 ET | Iceland 1-1 Estonia |
| 18:00 CET / 12:00 ET | San Marino 0-7 Finland |
| 20:45 CET / 14:45 ET | Albania 2-0 Belarus |
| 20:45 CET / 14:45 ET | Czechia 1-2 Croatia · Group A3 |
| 20:45 CET / 14:45 ET | England 2-3 Spain · Group A3 |
| 20:45 CET / 14:45 ET | North Macedonia 0-3 Switzerland |
| 20:45 CET / 14:45 ET | Slovakia 2-0 Moldova |
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What comes next
Matchday 2 closes on Tuesday 29 September with the Group A3 double-header: Czechia vs England in Prague and Spain vs Croatia, both at 20:45 CET (14:45 US Eastern). England then travel to Rijeka to face Croatia on 3 October — behind closed doors after a UEFA sanction — before hosting Czechia at Wembley on 6 October. Four matches in eleven days for Thomas Tuchel’s squad, and after this result two of them are must-not-lose.
Shirt demand after this result
Built from our own order flow and range depth, not from a poll. The tiers move after every matchday.
An away win at Wembley by the world champions is the strongest demand signal a national shirt can get. The 2026/27 Spain home shirt moves first this week.
A 2-3 home defeat does not slow the England home shirt — England demand is driven by fixtures, not results, and the Prague trip on Tuesday keeps it moving.
Smaller ranges that move on Tuesday’s result. Croatia arrive off a 2-1 win in Prague; Czechia host England needing a response.
The shirts from this match
England and Spain, plus the rest of League A. Printed names and numbers are made to order, so order before Tuesday’s kick-off.
Spain Home Shirt 2026 2027
England Men's Home Shirt 2026 2027
Croatia Home Shirt · Rakitic 7
Czech Republic Away Shirt · Koller 9
Germany Home Shirt · Kimmich 6
France Home Shirt · Upamecano 4
Portugal Home Shirt · G.Ramos 9
Norway Home Shirt · Berge 8
Our verdict
England did the hard part and led at half-time against the world champions, then lost to three Spanish finishes that came from inside and outside the box. The penalty at 2-1 is the line between a good night and a bad one — but Spain’s bench decided this game, and Group A3 already looks like the group England must go through, not around. Tuesday in Prague is now the whole season in one evening.
What was the final score of England vs Spain?
Who scored for England?
Who scored for Spain?
Did Harry Kane miss a penalty?
What does the result do to Group A3?
When do England and Spain play next?
What were the other matchday 1 results?
Where can I buy the shirts from this match?
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