England v Spain: European champions given narrow edge in Nations League opener

England host Spain at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, 26 September 2026, in the opening round of the Nations League, with both sides targeting a winning start in Group 3 of League A.

The match in London will kick off at 18:45 GMT. It brings together two teams with strong recent records and promises to be a closely contested opening fixture.

Spain have the better head-to-head record in recent meetings. La Roja have won six of the past nine encounters, with England recording two victories and one match ending in a draw. The two previous Nations League meetings also went Spain’s way.

England go into the game after an impressive summer at the World Cup in America, where they reached the semi-finals before finishing third. The Three Lions were promoted to League A following a strong previous campaign and will be looking to underline their ambitions under manager Thomas Tuchel.

Spain, meanwhile, arrive as world champions and with considerable confidence behind them. They have won their past six matches and have not been beaten in normal time for two and a half years.

Their most recent competitive meeting with England came in the final of Euro 2024, when Spain prevailed 2-1. That result, together with their recent run of victories, gives the visitors a narrow statistical advantage before the match.

Match details and broadcast information

– Date: Saturday, 26 September 2026 – Kick-off: 18:45 GMT – Venue: Wembley Stadium, London

The match will be shown by L’Equipe, TF1 and M6 in France. In the United States and Canada, coverage will be provided by Fox Sports and DAZN.

Viewers in sub-Saharan Africa can watch on New World TV and beIN SPORTS, while beIN SPORTS and DStv will broadcast the game in the Middle East and North Africa.

Prediction and odds

The pre-match probabilities give Spain a slight advantage, with a 40% chance of victory. England are rated at 37%, while the likelihood of a draw is 23%, suggesting the contest could be decided by fine margins.

Africafoot’s prediction is a 1-0 win for Spain.

The quoted betting odds are 2.93 for an England victory, 3.45 for a draw and 2.33 for Spain to win.