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Spain fell to a 3-2 defeat against England at the Metropolitano in Madrid, ending a 43-match unbeaten run in international football.
La Roja had gone 43 matches without defeat since a 1-0 loss to Colombia on March 22, 2024, where Daniel Muñoz scored the only goal, A Bola reported. During that historic sequence, the reigning world and European champions recorded 34 victories and nine draws while scoring 109 goals and conceding 34. The record only concerns the result at the end of the 90 minutes, as Spain lost the 2025 UEFA Nations League final to Portugal on penalties.
Madrid Metropolitano Thriller
England manager Thomas Tuchel deployed James Trafford in goal for the decisive fixture, noting prior to the match that the competition offered a rare chance to evaluate the 24-year-old in a high-pressure environment, Record reported. “Queremos vê-lo em ação. Damos-lhe esta oportunidade, que é rara [mexer na baliza]. Usamos a Liga das Nações para isso. Queremos vê-lo num jogo de alta pressão e confiamos nele para isso,” Thomas Tuchel said.
Trafford recently joined Leeds United following a spell at Manchester City. James Trafford and Jordan Pickford will play the same number of matches in goal for England in this UEFA Nations League campaign, altering the status of the 32-year-old Everton goalkeeper who has been the regular starter for the Three Lions since the 2018 World Cup.
Tactical Pressing Battle
England utilized aggressive man-to-man pressing across the pitch to disrupt Spain’s buildup play. Central defenders Ezri Konsa and Jarell Quansah tracked Spanish midfielders closely, forcing Luis de la Fuente’s side into long balls.
Konsa broke the deadlock from a corner kick by heading past Unai Simón after escaping his marker. Moments later, a turnover in the Spanish half allowed Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane to initiate a transition ending with Morgan Rogers coming from deep to score England’s second.
Spain fought back after Quansah conceded a penalty following a foul on Lamine Yamal. Mikel Oyarzabal converted from the spot in an action that also resulted in a red card for an English defender. Yamal then provided an assist for Nico Williams to equalize in the 75th minute.
Despite being down to ten men, England restored their lead through sustained physical dominance and defensive organization, with Trafford making three key saves in the closing stages to secure the victory.
Spain Ends Unbeaten Run and Fabián Ruiz Suffers First Loss
The defeat halted several remarkable statistics for the Spanish national team. Aside from the 43-match overall unbeaten sequence, Spain had won 12 matches since a loss against Cape Verde at the opening of the 2026 World Cup.
The match also marked the first defeat for Fabián Ruiz in a Spain shirt. The 30-year-old midfielder tasted loss for the first time in his 54th international appearance, having previously accumulated 38 victories and 15 draws for his country, according to A Bola.
Quarter-Final Qualification
Both England and Spain finished with 15 points at the top of Group 3 of League A and advance to the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals as group leaders and runners-up respectively, awaiting the knockout stage draw.
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