England's national team returns to the pitch for the first time since their World Cup semi-final exit and subsequent third-place play-off victory, facing Spain in the opening fixture of this season’s Nations League. The clash at Wembley Stadium pits Thomas Tuchel’s side against the world and European champions, marking their first encounter since the Euro 2024 final.
The match, kicking off at 7.45pm BST today, Saturday 26 September, will be available for UK viewers on ITV1 and ITVX. All eyes will be on England as they aim to bounce back, with captain Harry Kane, who scored 73 goals last season for club and country, set to go head-to-head with Spain's star forward Lamine Yamal.
England faces a challenging start to their Nations League A3 group, which also includes Croatia and the Czech Republic. Several players, including Cole Palmer, Declan Rice, Marcus Rashford, and Kobbie Mainoo, have withdrawn from the squad due to injury, with Morgan Gibbs-White and James Garner called up as replacements. Spain will be without Pedro Porro and Joan Garcia, while Marcos Llorente has retired from international football.