England Head to Madrid to Test Their Progress Against Spain

England travel to Madrid to play Spain, the reigning world and European champions, in a match that will show how far Thomas Tuchel's side has come since the World Cup.

Spain have not lost since March 2024, when Colombia beat them. Since then they have won 34 games and drawn nine, so their unbeaten run now stretches to 43 matches. BBC Sport reports that they have also gone 20 home games without defeat, with 15 wins and five draws since a 2-1 loss to Switzerland in September 2022.

Spain are the team to beat right now. They won the World Cup this summer by defeating Argentina in New Jersey. They also beat England in the Euro 2024 final in Berlin, which is the trophy England fans still talk about with a wince.

England have a much smaller record in Spain to build on. Their last win there came in October 2018, a 3-2 victory in the Nations League in Seville. That was their first away win against Spain in 31 years.

The most recent meeting was at Wembley in September. Spain won 3-2. Harry Kane missed a penalty that could have put England 3-1 ahead, and that miss stays with the captain. England have since won four matches in a row. The latest was a 2-1 win over Croatia at Wembley on Thursday. They arrived in Madrid on Saturday evening.

Tuchel's England are judged against the World Cup semi-final. They lost 2-1 to Argentina in Atlanta, after Anthony Gordon had put them ahead. Tuchel was criticised for what many saw as a cautious approach once they had the lead. Madrid is a chance to show that the lesson has been learned.

Kane called the trip to the Metropolitano Stadium "the perfect opportunity to try and prove ourselves." Tuchel has also confirmed that Leeds United goalkeeper James Trafford will get another start. He continues to alternate with Jordan Pickford, who is England's first-choice keeper, so each game is a fresh chance for both to make a case.

For England, the aim is simple to describe and hard to do. Beat the champions on their own ground, and the four-match winning run starts to look like a real turn in form. Lose again, and the questions about Tuchel's approach will be louder. Either way, a team that has not beaten Spain away in almost eight years has a clear target.