Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.53 EDT<\/p>\n GOAL! England 0-1 Spain (Yamal 2)<\/p>\n Well that escalated quickly.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 1 min Peep peep! Spain<\/a> kick off from left to right as we watch.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Eric Garcia injured in the warm-up<\/p>\n There\u2019s been a late change to the Spain<\/a> team, with Marc Pubill replacing Eric Garcia at right-back. These are the revised teams.<\/p>\n England (4-2-3-1) Trafford; Quansah, Konsa, Guehi, O\u2019Reilly; Anderson, Lewis-Skelly; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane.<\/p>\n Subs: Pickford, Steele, Alexander-Arnold, Scott, Chalobah, Hall, Branthwaite, Rogers, Garner, Calvert-Lewin, Gibbs-White, Eze.<\/p>\n Spain (4-2-3-1) Simon; Pubill, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Ruiz; Yamal, Olmo, Williams; Torres.<\/p>\n Subs: Raya, Martinez, Huijsen, Grimaldo, Merino, Lopez, Pino, Baena, Zubimendi, Pedri, Oyarzabal.<\/p>\n Referee Davide Massa (Italy)<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s called Pickers now?\u201d sniffs Andrew Goudie. \u201cWhat\u2019s his nickname, \u2018Cherry\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n I thought it was Pickers?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n James Trafford embraces Rodri, his old Manchester City team-mate, in the tunnel. This is the biggest night of his burgeoning career.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Thomas Tuchel\u2019s pre-match thoughts<\/p>\n double quotation mark[On Spain] They\u2019re the European champions, they\u2019re the world champions. They\u2019re the team to beat, which is super hard. We have some questions to answer, but we want to be the first team to find answers to these questions.<\/p>\n [On the selection of James Trafford] He will play two consecutive matches, then Pickers gets the other two matches. It was amazing to see how Jordan Pickford reacted. We told him we want to see Trafford at this kind of level and see what\u2019s behind Pickers. We know what Pickers can give us and he did nothing wrong.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cCan I just set Krishnamoorthy V\u2018s mind to rest,\u201d begins Matt Dony. \u201cRob is both unfortunate and masochistic. Nothing else explains a decades-long commitment to the MBM!\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The FA will pay tribute to Kevin Keegan, a romantic workaholic like no other, before tonight\u2019s game. He remains the only Englishman to win the Ballon d\u2019Or twice, an extraordinary achievement for which he never received enough credit.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> England are about to face the hardest challenge in international football, maybe at any level of the game. They are going to try to score against Spain. Spain conceded one goal in eight games on the way to winning the World Cup<\/a> while allowing their opponents 2.37 expected goals, a mere 0.30 per 90 minutes played.<\/p>\n Thomas Tuchel has said he hoped his side \u201cbecame for 10 minutes more like Spain\u201d to comfortably dominate possession when the heat was on. A fine aspiration for those situations, but it is not an approach that will help England unlock the Spain backline. The pass masters cannot be toppled that way. The solution may lie elsewhere within the same Tuchel press conference<\/a>.<\/p>\n Tuchel spoke of how English fans and players prefer chaos. \u201cThere is no heritage of: \u2018Oh, let\u2019s control around the middle line. Let\u2019s do a deep buildup and then bring them out\u2019,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s just like: \u2018Come on. Let\u2019s kick the ball into the opponent\u2019s box and fight with them\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n And this is how England can beat Spain. Granted, it requires a little more nuance than Tuchel\u2019s simple summation. But not much. The two defeats Spain have suffered in the Luis de la Fuente era<\/a> help prove the point. Both occurred in the UK.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> Like the kid he is, Lamine Yamal just wanted to keep playing. This wasn\u2019t Pla\u00e7a Joan XXIII, wasn\u2019t El Parque de Rocafonda either; it wasn\u2019t the Matar\u00f3 neighbourhood where it all began, but it might have been. \u201cWe\u2019re in a World Cup final and I wanted to carry on,\u201d he says, and there\u2019s the smile again, the braces. Really? \u201cYes\u201d. No nerves? \u201cNo. I never thought: \u2018Just blow the whistle\u2019. I was enjoying it.\u201d No fear, just fun: 19 July, New Jersey and he knew: this 19-year-old who had happily been asleep on the bus to the biggest match of his life.<\/p>\n And now he sits in a first-floor office in Las Rozas, surrounded by tactics boards and stats sheets. There\u2019s a Spain keyring hanging from the door and a second star on his shirt. In the corridor, crates loaded for London. Son of Mounir and Sheila, named after the family friends who helped them, \u201ctouched by God\u2019s wand<\/a>\u201d in the words of the coach whose office is next door, there\u2019s something about Lamine Yamal. He turned 17 the day before the final of Euro 2024<\/a>, a schoolboy sitting exams, and 19 the day before the semi-final of the World Cup. Asked what he wanted, he said a trip to New York, so there he was, about to be a champion again.<\/p>\n The way Lamine Yamal tells it, Spain<\/a> knew they were world champions before they had scored, in the moment Enzo Fern\u00e1ndez was sent off. It was the third minute of second-half stoppage time, still 0-0, but now, he says: \u201cWe knew it was impossible they would score, and with the ball against 10, very difficult for us not to.\u201d The surprise was that they hadn\u2019t already, but on 106 minutes the ball came to his feet. He had been thinking about this moment for some time.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cRob,\u201d begins Alan Baverstock. \u201cSid Lowe writes b e a u t i f u l l y.\u201d<\/p>\n Damn straight. All his stuff is great but I think his interviews are remarkable, both the quotes he elicits and the way he writes them up. I\u2019d urge y\u2019all to read the Lamine Yamal interview I\u2019m about to post.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.21 EDT<\/p>\n Anthony Gordon has sided with Thomas Tuchel\u2019s assertion that controlling games through possession is not part of English football\u2019s DNA. Although Gordon revealed surprise at being substituted when England were 1-0 up in their World Cup semi-final against Argentina<\/a>, the winger refused to blame the defeat on Tuchel\u2019s decisions and argued that wider cultural issues influenced the side\u2019s collapse.<\/p>\n England\u2019s perennial struggle to keep the ball when under pressure flared when a place in the final was within touching distance in July, allowing Argentina to fight back and go through with two late goals. The pain has not gone away and there has been intense scrutiny of Tuchel\u2019s role in Atlanta. The head coach\u2019s tactical choices were criticised and he faced a backlash after saying \u201cball possession\u201d was not in his team\u2019s DNA.<\/p>\n But Gordon, who thinks he will always be scarred by losing against Argentina, sided with Tuchel\u2019s observations about England\u2019s style as he looked towards the Nations League<\/a> game against Spain on Saturday. The 25-year-old admitted the side had an ingrained inability to control games but argued they should stop trying to copy other nations.<\/p>\n Gordon has gained an insight into the Spanish understanding of how to use the ball since his move to Barcelona. His view is that England should lean more into their physical strengths.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cHello Rob,\u201d writes Krishnamoorthy V. \u201cWere you assigned this game or did you opt for it? This important piece of information would let me decide if you are merely unfortunate or a steadfast masochist.\u201d<\/p>\n Opt for it indeed. The Man giveth, and The Man taketh away. On the plus side, I get tomorrow off and we all know Sunday night is where the real excitement lies.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.28 EDT<\/p>\n Thomas Tuchel has thrown Cole Palmer\u2019s England<\/a> future into major doubt by questioning whether the Chelsea attacker wants to be part of his squad.<\/p>\n England\u2019s head coach did not hold back on Palmer\u2019s latest withdrawal<\/a> from international duty, warning that the 24-year-old has missed too many opportunities to play for his country. Palmer has only 14 caps and his decision not to join up with the squad this week, because of a minor muscular injury, caused disappointment given he was left out of Tuchel\u2019s World Cup squad<\/a> after struggling with form and fitness last season.<\/p>\n Tuchel has put a lot of store in team spirit and is clear about wanting commitment. The German has rarely been able to work with Palmer, who had earned a high-profile recall after making a strong start to the campaign, and did not go down the diplomatic route when it was suggested the former Manchester City player does not seem desperate to play for England<\/a>. \u201cHard to argue against what you\u2019re saying,\u201d Tuchel said.<\/p>\n The line came with a warning for Palmer. \u201cHe misses too many camps,\u201d Tuchel said. \u201cThat\u2019s the overall headline. We have a lot of invitations and he couldn\u2019t make this one. It is what it is. I am not ready to focus on players who are not here. The players that are here have my full attention.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> \u201cI\u2019m going to tell you a story,\u201d Luis de la Fuente said. \u201cAs soon as the game finished on 19 July, before anyone had cooled down at all, just two or three minutes after the final, one of the players \u2013 and you\u2019ll have to forgive me for not telling you which one, but it was one of those who has been with us for the longest time \u2013 came up to me and said: \u2018Mister, now what? What\u2019s left to win?\u2019 And I said: \u2018Bloody hell, the game against England at Wembley<\/a> on 26 September.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n It was a Friday afternoon at Las Rozas and Spain\u2019s coach had just named his first squad since that day in New Jersey<\/a>. It was a familiar one, full of history makers. Of the 26 from the World Cup, only four had been left out and there was an explanation for each: Marcos Llorente has announced his international retirement; Joan Garc\u00eda is injured; Borja Iglesias, who always felt the likeliest to leave first, is not fully fit; and Gavi is suspended for Wembley, although he could have faced Croatia and Czechia.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Team news: Trafford preferred to Pickford<\/p>\n Leeds goalkeeper James Trafford starts ahead of Jordan Pickford, a selection that few people saw coming. Pickford is among the subs, so this might be the end of his long spell as England\u2019s undisputed No1. Myles Lewis-Skelly covers for Declan Rice in midfield and Jarell Quansah is preferred to Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back.<\/p>\n Ferran Torres and Nico Williams, the substitutes who combined for Spain\u2019s World Cup-winning goal against Argentina, start ahead of Alex Baena and Mikel Oyarzabal. The only other change from that game is in defence, where Eric Garcia replaces the injured Pedro Porro at right-back.<\/p>\n England (4-2-3-1) Trafford; Quansah, Konsa, Guehi, O\u2019Reilly; Anderson, Lewis-Skelly; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane.<\/p>\n Subs: Pickford, Steele, Alexander-Arnold, Scott, Chalobah, Hall, Branthwaite, Rogers, Garner, Calvert-Lewin, Gibbs-White, Eze.<\/p>\n Spain (4-2-3-1) Simon; Garcia, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Ruiz; Yamal, Olmo, Williams; Torres.<\/p>\n Subs: Raya, Martinez, Huijsen, Grimaldo, Merino, Lopez, Pino, Pubill, Baena, Zubimendi, Pedri, Oyarzabal.<\/p>\n Referee Davide Massa (Italy)<\/p>\n Anthony Gordon of England and Spain\u2019s Eric Garc\u00eda talk before kick-off. Photograph: Michael Regan\/The FA\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.57 EDT<\/p>\n Thomas Tuchel has pictured the scene. It comes after the final whistle has blown on England\u2019s Nations League<\/a> opener against Spain on Saturday night, the first post-World Cup fixture for both teams, and it has Wembley swaying to the strains of Wonderwall. It is a moment of communion, a reconnection with the Oasis classic that was the soundtrack to England\u2019s World Cup campaign, which delivered so much only to end in such disappointment.<\/p>\n \u201cDo I think it will happen tomorrow?\u201d Tuchel said, when asked if Wonderwall would play again afterwards. \u201cI think it will happen if we win.\u201d<\/p>\n There are a couple of counterpoints. The visit of Spain<\/a> is certainly a glamour fixture and Wembley is sold out in anticipation, but it is not a World Cup knockout tie. The emotion cannot pulse to the same levels. Furthermore, Tuchel has first-hand experience of the vagaries of the Wembley crowd; its hard-to-please restlessness.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Preamble<\/p>\n We interupt the Manchester City news cycle<\/a> to bring you live coverage of a football match: England v Spain in the Nations League, aka the World Cup final that wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n U over it yet, hun? It\u2019s been 73 days since England\u2019s grisly collapse against Argentina, and it\u2019s not getting any better with age. But there\u2019s always a next time in football, and another home European Championship should give England<\/a> a decent shot in glory.<\/p>\n![\"Andrew](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Andrew_Beasley.png\")
Andrew Beasley<\/p>\n![\"Sid](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Sid_Lowe,_L.png\")
Sid Lowe<\/p>\n![\"Jacob](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790448851_186_Jacob-Steinberg,-L.png\")
Jacob Steinberg<\/p>\nJacob Steinberg<\/p>\nSid Lowe<\/p>\n![\"David](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790448852_116_David_Hytner,_L.png\")
David Hytner<\/p>\n