Spain and England meet with Nations League top spot at stake in Madrid

Spain and England will contest first place in UEFA Nations League League A Group 3 when they meet at the Metropolitano on Sunday, 15 November 2026 at 20:45.

Both sides have already secured qualification for the quarter-finals, but Spain need only avoid defeat to finish top. England must win in Madrid, with a victory by two or more goals securing first place through their superior head-to-head attack. A one-goal win would also be enough because England’s overall goal difference is currently +12, compared with Spain’s +9.

The Three Lions ended an eight-year wait to reach the Nations League semi-finals by beating Croatia 2-1 at Wembley on Thursday. Morgan Rogers put England ahead before Petar Sucic levelled, with Harry Kane’s penalty eventually settling the match.

A draw would have guaranteed England a top-two finish, but the victory kept alive their hopes of overtaking Spain. Kane was also honoured before becoming England’s most-capped player with his 126th appearance.

England’s success followed a 7-0 victory over Croatia behind closed doors in October, although Thomas Tuchel’s side were made to work considerably harder this time. Sucic’s goal ended a run of three matches without conceding, but England have scored at least twice in each of their past six games in all competitions.

Spain remain perfect in this Nations League campaign, with five wins from five. Their latest success came in the Czech Republic, where Alex Baena and Marc Pubill scored either side of half-time in a 2-0 victory.

Luis de la Fuente’s side were without their Euro 2024 attacking trio of Lamine Yamal, Mikel Oyarzabal and Nico Williams. Spain had to wait until the 96th minute, and the dismissal of Ladislav Krejci, before completing the result. They have scored at least twice in five consecutive matches, falling below that mark only in the World Cup final.

A draw or victory would extend Spain’s unbeaten run to 43 matches in all competitions. That sequence began after a friendly defeat by Colombia in March 2024. Spain have since beaten England in the Euro final and in the reverse fixture at Wembley, winning 3-2. England’s most recent victory on Spanish soil came in 2018, also by a 3-2 scoreline, with Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford scoring.

Myles Lewis-Skelly returns for England after serving a suspension for an accumulation of yellow cards. Ezri Konsa could also come back into contention after missing Thursday’s game, while Konsa and Djed Spence are expected to rejoin team training on Saturday. Konsa is tipped to replace Jarell Quansah, who made the mistake that led to Croatia’s equaliser.

For Spain, Yamal and Oyarzabal are expected to return. Nico Williams and Aymeric Laporte remain doubtful after missing the Czech Republic match with a virus. Ferran Torres and Yeremy Pino are likely to make way, while Martin Zubimendi’s involvement from the start is uncertain after playing the full match on Thursday.

The suggested selections are Spain to win at 1.64, over 2.5 goals at 1.50 and both teams to score at 1.50. The predicted score is Spain 3-1 England, available at 10.50 with Betclic.