THEY say revenge is a dish best served cold – and that is exactly what England men’s football team will endeavour to do when they face off against Spain twice in a matter of months later this year.
The two sides have been drawn together in the same group for the fifth edition of the UEFA Nations League, set to take place between September 2026 and June 2027.
It will be the first time the two sides have locked horns since the Euro 2024 final in Berlin where a late Mikel Oyarzabal goal broke English hearts and ensured a brilliant Spanish side were crowned deserving champions.
La Rioja, still under the tutelage of the ever-wise Luis de la Fuente, will make their way to Wembley in early autumn for the opening game of the group stage.
The match will take place on Saturday 26 September at 7.45pm local time.
Less than two months later, England will cross the Bay of Biscay for the reverse fixture, pencilled in for the evening of Sunday 15 November.
Czechia and 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia are the two remaining sides in League A, group three following Thursday evening’s draw in Brussels.
Each side will play four consecutive games in late September and early October thanks to an extended three-week-long international break – the first of its kind.
Asked about the draw, England boss Thomas Tuchel said: “You need to forgive me if I am not fully focused on the Nations League.
It seems like a difficult group. It’s Croatia again, Spain – we need to figure out after the World Cup how we approach this period.”
The Three Lions have a poor record in the tournament, introduced by UEFA in 2018 in an attempt to increase interest in international football outside of the traditional summer tournament window.
They came third in the tournament’s first season but were relegated to League B for the 2024-25 campaign.
Spain, on the other hand, went home with the trophy in 2023 after a nail-biting penalty shootout victory over Croatia in Rotterdam.
A dominant Euro 2024 triumph meant Spain entered the 2024-25 edition as hot favourites, but fell at the final hurdle against neighbouring Portugal.
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