England held on with 10 men to record a stunning win over Spain in Madrid in one of the great UEFA Nations League games.
The visitors had seen their hosts parade their World Cup trophy on the pitch before the game, but raced into a 3-0 lead inside an hour, before being reduced to 10 men on 65 minutes and having to cling on in a dramatic finale to pip Spain to top spot in Group A3 on goal difference.
It was a record 10th straight away win for the Three Lions, and it inflicted the first defeat on La Roja since they went down 1-0 in a friendly against Colombia in London in March 2024. The 43-game run saw them crowned European and World Champions along the way.
England produced a stunning start and might have been ahead inside the opening minutes, but Unai Simon made a brilliant reaction save to claw away Jude Bellingham’s close-range effort.
The visitors were irresistible in the first half, pressing high and denying the hosts time and space to find their rhythm, and Spain were unable to register a shot on target in the opening 45 minutes.
England led 1-0 at the break after Harry Kane latched onto Elliot Anderson’s pass in behind and drew a foul from Pau Cubarsi in the box. Following a brief VAR review into Anderson’s challenge on Marc Cucurella in the build-up, Kane stepped up to convert the penalty.
He fired to the right of Unai Simon to register his 93rd Three Lions goal on his 127th appearance in the final seconds of the half.
The visitors doubled their lead eight minutes after the turnaround as Declan Rice’s curling corner was met by a powerful downward header from the unmarked Ezri Konsa, his Arsenal teammate.
The hosts were in disarray four minutes later, when some slick counterattacking saw Bellingham slot through into space on the right of the box for the on-rushing Ben White to drill a low shot past Simon at his near post.
The game changed 25 minutes from time when Jarell Quansah was dispossessed in his own half, and Anderson was shown a straight red card for denying a goalscoring opportunity by putting his arm on Lamine Yamal as he raced into the box.
After VAR confirmed the decision, Mikel Oyarzabal sent James Trafford – recalled in place of Jordan Pickford in goal – the wrong way to give the hosts hope.
They piled on the pressure and reduced the arrears further on the break on 75 minutes, when Yamal’s first-time cross from the right was swept in off the post by substitute Nico Williams.
La Roja laid siege to the England goal in the closing stages as they sought a goal to extend their unbeaten run and claim top spot in Group A3. But Trafford produced a stunning double save in stoppage time, diving to his right to parry a shot from Fermin Lopez, then somehow bouncing up to turn the follow-up from Aymeric Laporte around the upright.
England held on to secure first place in the group on goal difference after both sides finished on 15 points.
Both sides will find out their Nations League quarterfinal opponents next March when the draw takes place on Friday. England is set to face one of the three A-Group runners-up, other than Spain, while La Roja will face one of the other three group winners.
