England defeated Spain 3-2, ending their impressive unbeaten streak of 43 matches

More than two years have passed since Spain last left a pitch with a defeat. During that time, Luis de la Fuente's team built an extraordinary streak, won the Euro 2024, and established itself among the most competitive teams in international football. However, on an intense night at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, England found the formula to end that unbeaten run: they won 3-2 and secured the top spot in their group in the UEFA Nations League.

Thomas Tuchel's team came out determined to trouble their rivals from the start, with high pressure that complicated the usual ball circulation for the Spaniards. Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham were two of the main protagonists in a first half where the visitors managed to control much of the play, although they also had to pay attention to the approaches from Lamine Yamal.

When it seemed that both teams would go into halftime without goals, England found the advantage. In the 45th minute, Pau Cubarsí brought down Kane inside the area, and referee Clement Turpin, after reviewing the action with VAR, awarded a penalty. The Bayern Munich forward took the penalty himself and scored to make it 1-0.

The English dominance deepened just as the second half began. In the 53rd minute, Ezri Konsa took advantage of a corner taken by Declan Rice and, with little opposition, connected with a header to extend the lead. Five minutes later, Jude Bellingham found Ben White, who appeared at the far post and finished to make it 3-0. At that moment, the Three Lions were not only achieving a prestigious victory but were also on their way to securing the leadership of the group.

However, the match still had a tense conclusion in store. In the 64th minute, a defensive error from England left Lamine Yamal with the chance to advance into the area, and Elliot Anderson ended up bringing him down. The action resulted in a penalty for Spain and the expulsion of the visiting midfielder, leaving his team with ten players.

One minute later, Mikel Oyarzabal converted from the spot and fueled the hopes of a comeback for the hosts. With a numerical advantage and the support of their fans, La Roja pushed forward and found another goal in the 75th minute, when Nico Williams, who had come on from the bench, took advantage of an assist from Yamal to score the 2-3.

The last minutes were a struggle for England, who had to withstand Spanish attacks to preserve a lead that seemed impossible to lose when the score was 3-0. Goalkeeper James Trafford also had important interventions to maintain the result and prevent the local pressure from ending in a draw.

In this way, Spain ended a streak of 43 consecutive matches without defeats. Their last loss had been on March 22, 2024, when they lost 1-0 to Colombia in a friendly match played in London. Since then, they had managed to remain unbeaten for over two years and lift the Euro trophy.

Despite the setback, both teams secured their qualification for the quarter-finals of the UEFA Nations League. England finished as the leader of Group C, with 15 points, the same as Spain, who came in second due to a lower goal difference. Croatia finished third with six points, while the Czech Republic ended their participation without any points.

Thus, the English took a highly valuable victory on Spanish soil, while La Roja must come to terms with a defeat that, in addition to ending a historic positive streak, highlighted the difficulties they can face when they lose control of a match.