Spain fight back to beat England 3-2 after Kane penalty miss

England lost 3-2 to Spain in the Nations League in their first match since the summer's World Cup.

It finished Spain 3-2 England on 26 September, in a league-phase tie listed by UEFA for the 2026/27 competition, which runs from September to November 2026. UEFA The Nations League is UEFA's competition that replaces many friendlies with competitive group games.

Spain struck first. Lamine Yamal scored the opening goal to put the visitors in front. BBC Sport

England answered quickly. Jude Bellingham set up the equaliser and then won a penalty. Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane scored the goals that turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead for England.

Kane could have stretched that lead. He stepped up for the penalty won by Bellingham and hit the bar. It stayed 2-1.

Spain made England pay. Alex Baena scored to level the match at 2-2. Then Mikel Oyarzabal struck the winner to complete the turnaround from 2-1 down to 3-2 up.

That recent history added an edge. Spain beat England in the Euro 2024 final, and the two sides have traded tight games in recent years. This was another one decided by a single goal.

The individual performances told the story of the night. In BBC Sport's player ratings, Bellingham and Gordon both scored 8 after driving England's fightback. Kane, a scorer but also the penalty-misser, was rated 7. Marc Guehi got a 5 at the other end of the scale.

What makes this stand out is the swing of it. England did the hard part in coming from behind to lead. Then came the miss, the shift in momentum, and two Spain finishes that quietened the home crowd. Ninety minutes that gave both sets of supporters everything to feel together, right to the final whistle.