The world champion returns to the field. Spain plays this Saturday, September 26, its first match since lifting the 2026 World Cup, and it does so away from home, at Wembley, against an England that finished third in the World Cup and is also facing the start of a new cycle. The England–Spain match corresponds to the first matchday of Group A3 of the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 and will start at 20:45 hours, Spanish peninsular time.
This will be the first occasion on which the Spanish national team will display in competition the two stars of world champion after the title won on July 19 against Argentina in New Jersey. That match was decided with a goal from Ferran Torres and made Luis de la Fuente's team a two-time world champion. Just two months later, Spain changes the celebration for a Nations League in which it will share a group with England, Croatia, and Czech Republic.
What time does Spain play against England
The England–Spain match takes place this Saturday, September 26, at Wembley Stadium, in London, with a scheduled start for 20:45 hours in peninsular Spain and the Balearic Islands, one hour less in the Canary Islands. The Spanish Federation confirms that this is the debut of both teams in Group A3 of the top category of the Nations League.
After Wembley, the calendar will not give much rest to La Roja. Spain will host Croatia on Tuesday, September 29, at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán in Seville, will play against Czech Republic on October 3 in Oviedo, and will close this first window by visiting Croatia again, this time in Split, on October 6.
Where to watch England–Spain for free on television
The match can be followed live on La 1 of TVE. It will also be available for free online through RTVE Play, while RNE will offer the radio broadcast of the match. RTVE will also broadcast all of Spain's matches during this international window of the Nations League.
The coverage turns the Wembley match into one of the highlights of the international day. It not only marks Spain's return after the World Cup but also a new chapter in one of the most prominent European clashes in recent years.
Spain maintains a good part of the champion block
Luis de la Fuente has opted for continuity in his first call-up after winning the World Cup. Among the 26 selected are Unai Simón, Rodri, Pedri, Fabián Ruiz, Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, Mikel Oyarzabal, and Ferran Torres, along with new faces or returns like Fermín López, Dean Huijsen, Roberto Fernández, or Víctor Muñoz. The main absence in defense is that of Pedro Porro, who had to leave the call-up due to injury and was replaced by Iván Fresneda.
The main doubt is precisely in the right-back position. Eric García has options to occupy that position, although Marc Pubill also appears among the alternatives. The rest of the defense could maintain a very recognizable structure, with Pau Cubarsí and Aymeric Laporte in the center and Marc Cucurella on the left side.
In midfield, Rodri continues to be the axis and both Pedri and Fabián Ruiz have options to accompany him. Up front, Lamine Yamal seems to have secured the right flank, while Mikel Oyarzabal is again aiming for the forward position. On the left, there is more competition: Nico Williams and Álex Baena are among De la Fuente's main alternatives.
A possible lineup for Spain would be: Unai Simón; Eric García, Cubarsí, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Pedri, Fabián Ruiz; Lamine Yamal, Oyarzabal, and Álex Baena. This is a forecast and the final eleven will not be known until approximately an hour before the match.
England arrives with five important absences
Thomas Tuchel faces the debut with more problems. England has lost due to injury Declan Rice, Cole Palmer, Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford, and Tino Livramento, five players who were initially part of the call-up. James Garner and Morgan Gibbs-White have been added later to expand the options for the German coach.
Despite the absences, the English maintain a good part of their backbone. Jordan Pickford is set to continue in goal, Jude Bellingham will be one of the references in the attacking midfield, and Harry Kane will continue to lead the attack. Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon also have many chances to be part of the offensive front, while the return of Trent Alexander-Arnold opens one of the main uncertainties in defense after the Real Madrid player did not participate in the World Cup.
One of the possible English lineups would be: Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Konsa, Guéhi, O'Reilly; Elliot Anderson, Lewis-Skelly; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane. Tuchel, however, has several alternatives for the midfield and right back, so the formation may experience changes before the start.
Wembley, a familiar stage for Spain
Spain also returns to a stadium where it has a good recent memory. The last time both teams faced each other at Wembley was in the Nations League of 2018, when La Roja won 1-2 with goals from Saúl Ñíguez and Rodrigo Moreno. The most recent precedent between the two teams came much later, in the final of the Euro 2024, which Spain won 2-1 thanks to the decisive goal from Mikel Oyarzabal.
Since then, both teams have maintained their presence among the top international teams. Spain now arrives with the added momentum of the World Cup won in July, while England begins the Nations League after finishing third in the World Cup and with Tuchel still at the helm.
The first match of a new era for the champion
The clash will be especially symbolic for the Spanish national team. The last official match ended with Rodri lifting the World Cup and the next one starts directly at Wembley against one of the highest-level rivals on the continent. De la Fuente has kept the core with which he won the title and now has a first test to see how the team responds after the World Cup euphoria.
The England–Spain will start at 20:45 hours and can be seen on La 1 and RTVE Play. From there, the second star stops being a celebration to become the starting point of a new cycle: the world champion returns to compete and does so directly at Wembley.