England were beaten 3-2 by world champions Spain at Wembley in their opening Nations League match, despite recovering from an early Lamine Yamal goal to take the lead before half-time.
Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane turned the game around for the hosts, but Kane missed a second-half penalty before Alex Baena and Mikel Oyarzabal completed Spain’s comeback.
Here is how we rated England’s players.
England player ratings vs Spain
Goalkeeper & Defence
James Trafford: 6 — Made an important save from Ferran Torres in the first half and was generally composed with the ball, although Spain’s three goals left little room for a higher mark.
Jarell Quansah: 6 — Looked comfortable enough at right-back and offered support going forward, but England needed more from their defensive unit after half-time.
Ezri Konsa: 6 — Had some uncertain moments as Spain increased the pressure but recovered to produce a steadier display as the game progressed.
Marc Guehi: 5 — A costly early mistake gifted Yamal the opening goal and put England on the back foot immediately.
🇪🇸✨ Lamine Yamal capitalized on a major error by Marc Guehi before the second minute was even completed! pic.twitter.com/LcgdekTpQ8
— Goals Xtra (@GoalsXtra) September 26, 2026
Nico O’Reilly: 6 — Delivered the cross for Kane’s goal and worked hard against Yamal, although his misplaced pass was punished when Spain equalised in the second half.
Midfield & Attack
Elliot Anderson: 7 — Put in a huge amount of work in midfield and helped England compete during an excellent first-half spell, despite Spain finding ways through the midfield after the break.
Myles Lewis-Skelly: 6 — Showed composure in his first England start in central midfield and battled well against Spain’s possession game before being replaced after 70 minutes.
Jude Bellingham: 8 — England’s driving force, supplying Gordon for the equaliser and winning the penalty that Kane struck against the bar; he remained a constant threat throughout.
I'm sorry but this man did NOT deserve to be on the losing side tonight.
Jude Bellingham was absolutely INCREDIBLE. pic.twitter.com/KaSQfw5FN8
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Footballtweet) September 26, 2026
Bukayo Saka: 6 — Worked hard and found opportunities around the edge of the box but could not produce the decisive contribution England needed.
Anthony Gordon: 8 — A constant threat on the counter, Gordon produced an excellent finish for the equaliser and repeatedly used his pace to trouble Spain’s defence.
Harry Kane: 7 — Put England ahead with a deflected header and remained involved in their attacking play, but his missed penalty after half-time proved a significant turning point.
Substitutes
James Garner (on 70, Lewis-Skelly): 6 — Came on to provide fresh energy in midfield but had limited influence as Spain began to control the game.
Morgan Rogers (on 70, Gordon): 6 — Worked hard after coming on but struggled to reproduce Gordon’s attacking threat.
Morgan Gibbs-White (on 83, Saka): N/A — Had too little time to make a meaningful impact.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (on 83, Kane): N/A — Introduced late as England searched for an equaliser but had little opportunity to influence the result.
Jarrad Branthwaite (on 89, Guehi): N/A — A late defensive change with virtually no time to make an impression.
Not used: Jordan Pickford, Aaron Steele, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Angus Scott, Trevoh Chalobah, Lewis Hall, Eberechi Eze.
The result leaves England with work to do after Spain demonstrated their ability to recover from a difficult first half and take control after the interval. Bellingham and Gordon were the standout performers for the hosts, but the defensive errors and missed penalty ultimately proved costly.
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