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Spain's first game since winning the World Cup is a trip to Wembley Stadium to face England in League A of the Nations League on Saturday night.
La Roja beat Argentina 1-0 in the final to lift their second World Cup, while their opponents defeated England 2-1 in the semi-final.
The Three Lions at least won the third-place play-off, beating France 6-4 in a thriller.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
England vs. Spain key stats
- England are winless at home in 2026 (D1, L1).
- Spain have reached the final in the last three Nations League campaigns (W1, L2).
- Spain are unbeaten in 38 games in normal time (W28, D10).
England vs. Spain preview: La Roja to tame Three Lions?
England vs Spain — Tale of the Tape
| England | vs | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd | Position | 4th |
| 0 | Points | 0 |
| 0 | Goals For | 0 |
| 0 | Goals Against | 0 |
| 0 | Clean Sheets | 0 |
| 3rd (H) | Home / Away Rank | 4th (A) |
While England reached another World Cup semi-final, replicating their efforts in 2018, there was still disappointment at the way they crashed out.
Thomas Tuchel was criticised for his defensive approach to going ahead against Argentina, and lack of substitutions that could have changed the game's momentum.
The German now needs a strong Nations League campaign to win over his critics, but will have to do so with a depleted squad.
Five players have pulled out including starter Declan Rice and the recalled Cole Palmer, with James Garner and Morgan Gibbs-White added.
Pedro Porro and Joan Garcia did the same for Spain, but superstars like Lamine Yamal and Rodri remain the heartbeat of the team.
Luis de la Fuente's side are the ones to beat in the Nations League, and are the number-one ranked nation in the world.
They were so impressive at the World Cup, winning seven straight matches after a shock 0-0 draw against debutants Cape Verde in their opener.
La Roja also beat England the last time they played, famously 2-1 in the European Championship 2024 final, and will also want to be the Nations League holders having been beaten on penalties by Portugal in the previous campaign's final.
England vs. Spain form guide & betting tips
| England | vs | Spain |
|---|---|---|
WWWLW |
Form | WWWWW |
| 14 | Goals For | 9 |
| 10 | Goals Against | 1 |
| Nations League |
Whispers predicts: England 1-2 Spain
Spain are favourites with bookies, and given their winning form, we are backing Spain to win at 16/11 (2.45).
We are also backing England to score though, as they did in seven of their eight World Cup matches, so BTTS – Yes at 4/6 (1.67).
Ferran Torres has been in great goalscoring form for Paris Saint-Germain, netting five in his last three appearances, and also scored the winner in the World Cup final.
Torres to score anytime at 11/4 (3.75) is our final pick, while our prediction of a 2-1 Spain victory is also available at 17/2 (9.50).
> BTTS – Yes at 1.67 | Likelihood: High
> Spain to win at 2.45 | Likelihood: Medium
> Torres to score anytime at 3.75 | Likelihood: Medium