England and Spain Meet Again at Wembley, This Time in the Nations League

Wembley once again plays host to the two protagonists of a continental final, though this time the trophy on the line is a different one. On Saturday, September 26, England hosts Spain in matchday one of the 2026/2027 UEFA Nations League, and there is no need to dress up the storyline: these are simply the two teams that split the spoils of the last European Championship.

Kickoff is set for 3:45 PM (Argentina/Uruguay/Chile time) and 1:45 PM (Colombia/Peru/Ecuador time), with live coverage on Disney+ Premium Plan for South America.

A heavyweight clash in Group A3

The draw was tough on both sides: Group A3 also includes Croatia and the Czech Republic, but the headline attraction is this opening meeting between the two nations that decided last summer's Euros. England plays at home and wants to start on the right foot against the reigning world champion, which only adds intrigue to the opening matchday.

Spain arrives carrying the World Cup title, a tournament in which England finished third. That is no small detail in setting the mood for this trip to Wembley: a host looking for sporting revenge against a visitor defending its status as the best team in the world right now.

Key names to watch

On the English side, the list of standouts is a familiar one: Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane, Declan Rice and Phil Foden are the players who usually make the difference. Across the pitch, Spain leans on Lamine Yamal, Mikel Oyarzabal, Pedri and Dani Olmo, the core group that has carried the team's winning project in recent years.

England, coached by Thomas Tuchel, reached the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup and finished third after a thriller, beating France 6-4 in the third place playoff. Before that, they had topped Group L unbeaten, so they arrive with the confidence of a team that did not lose a single game in the group stage.

On the other side, Luis de la Fuente remains in charge of a Spain squad that was crowned world champion by beating Argentina 1-0 in the final, after finishing atop Group H. On top of that achievement, Spain is also the reigning European champion.

The score to settle

Speaking of the Euros, the last meeting between these two sides was nothing less than the final of that tournament, played on July 14, 2024, in Berlin. That night Spain won 2-1, with goals from Nico Williams and Mikel Oyarzabal, while Cole Palmer had pulled one back for England. Wembley now offers the hosts the perfect chance to settle that score right from the start of this new Nations League campaign.