Spain open Nations League campaign at Wembley against England as freshly crowned world champions

On Saturday, September 26 at 20:45, England face Spain at Wembley Stadium in London in the opening round of the fifth edition of the UEFA Nations League (as reported by RTVE.es). The match marks world champions Spain's first major test since winning the 2026 World Cup.

Context: Spain's second star

In the summer of 2026, Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in the final, with the winning goal scored by Ferran Torres, claiming their second world title 16 years after the first, as recalled by DAZN. Luis de la Fuente's side will wear their shirt with the second star for the very first time in this match. In the Nations League, Spain have been drawn in League A, Group 3, alongside England, Croatia and the Czech Republic — after this game come fixtures against Croatia on September 29 in Seville, the Czech Republic on October 3 in Oviedo, and a return match against Croatia on October 6, according to RTVE.es. De la Fuente recently extended his contract until 2032.

Speaking to DAZN, the coach stressed how much winning the World Cup has changed public recognition of the team: "After winning the Euros, the recognition was significant, but the World Cup is a different dimension," De la Fuente said, adding that fans now thank him and the team even outside Spain.

Squad and changes

Compared with the World Cup-winning group, Spain's squad shows several changes — Dean Huijsen returns after missing the World Cup due to a technical decision, Fermín López is back after missing the tournament through injury, and Espanyol forward Roberto Fernández replaces Borja Iglesias up front, according to RTVE.es. For this specific match, however, De la Fuente's chosen 23 do not include Víctor Muñoz, Roberto Fernández and Iván Fresneda, according to Mundo Deportivo — they were part of the wider squad call-up but were not selected for this particular game. Unai Simón starts in goal, and the squad also includes World Cup stars Rodri and Lamine Yamal.

Referee and history

The match will be officiated by Italian referee Davide Massa, who was not selected for the World Cup, Marca notes. It will be only his second encounter with Spain — he previously took charge of a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands in 2020. England and Spain have met ten times this century, with Spain winning six and England three, according to RTVE.es. Their most significant recent meeting was the Euro 2024 final in Berlin, which Spain won 2-1 to claim their fourth European title.

The match will be broadcast free in Spain on La 1 and the RTVE Play streaming platform.