England host Spain at Wembley on Saturday 26 September, opening Group A3 of the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League against the reigning world and European champions. Spain arrive off the back of a World Cup win in July, while England arrive with a bronze medal, their best World Cup finish since 1966, and a point to prove.
The England vs Spain odds reflect a fixture that has produced varying results of its last five instalments, and not one of them has been dull.
Here is what happened the last five times these two met.
1. Spain 2-1 England — Euro 2024 final, 14 July 2024, Olympiastadion, Berlin
The most painful of the five. Goalless at half-time, with Spain dominating possession and England surviving rather than competing. Rodri, who would go on to win the Ballon d’Or, was withdrawn at the break with an injury.
Two minutes after the restart, 17-year-old Lamine Yamal slid a weighted pass through for Nico Williams to finish low into the bottom corner. Gareth Southgate went to his bench: Cole Palmer came on in the 70th minute and, three minutes later, curled a left-footed strike from outside the box past Unai Simon.
England had 13 minutes level. Then, with four minutes left, Mikel Oyarzabal, himself a substitute, stretched to convert Cucurella’s cross at the far post. England had one last chance deep in stoppage time, from a corner. Simon parried a Declan Rice header, Marc Guehi met the rebound, and Dani Olmo headed it off the line. Spain’s fourth European Championship, a tournament record, achieved with seven wins from seven.
2. Spain 2-3 England — Nations League, 15 October 2018, Estadio Benito Villamarin, Seville
The reason English optimism about this fixture is not delusional. England went to Seville and were 3-0 up inside 40 minutes.
Raheem Sterling opened the scoring on 16 minutes, finishing a rapid counter-attack and ending an international goal drought stretching back to October 2015. Marcus Rashford fired into the top corner on the half-hour after a superb pass from Harry Kane. Sterling struck again before half-time, Kane assisting for the second time.
Spain came back, Paco Alcacer headed in just before the hour, and Sergio Ramos scored with the final touch of the game, but England held on. It was their first win on Spanish soil in 31 years, and the last competitive meeting between the sides before Berlin.
3. England 1-2 Spain — Nations League, 8 September 2018, Wembley
The first leg of that 2018 double-header, and a reminder that Wembley offers England no guarantees against this opponent.
England led inside 11 minutes, Luke Shaw setting up Marcus Rashford. The advantage lasted two minutes: Saul Niguez equalised on 13, and Rodrigo added a second on 32, both from close range. Shaw was later stretchered off needing oxygen following a head collision with Dani Carvajal.
England pushed hard late and thought they had equalised in the final minute, only for Danny Welbeck’s goal to be ruled out for a foul on David de Gea. Spain won 2-1 in Luis Enrique’s first competitive match in charge.
4. England 2-2 Spain — Friendly, 15 November 2016, Wembley
Gareth Southgate’s last match as interim manager, and a two-goal lead thrown away in stoppage time.
Adam Lallana converted a penalty in the ninth minute after Pepe Reina tripped Jamie Vardy. Vardy himself scored three minutes after half-time, ending a 14-game barren run. England were comfortable until the 89th minute, when Iago Aspas struck from distance. Deep into added time, Isco finished from the tightest of angles at the near post to make it 2-2.
5. Spain 2-0 England — Friendly, 13 November 2015, Estadio Jose Rico Perez, Alicante
Roy Hodgson’s England went into this on a 15-match unbeaten run, and all betting odds pointed in their favour. But Spain ended it in the last 20 minutes.
Mario Gaspar scored the goal of the five: latching onto a Cesc Fabregas chip at the top of the box and hooking a spinning mid-air volley beyond Joe Hart on 72 minutes. Santi Cazorla added a second from the edge of the area with six minutes remaining. It was England’s first defeat since their World Cup exit to Uruguay in June 2014.