The winners of the last two World Cup matches face off

Spain won the World Cup, held in North America last summer, by defeating Argentina in the final; following the 2023 Nations League and the 2024 European Championship, they have secured the right to host the 2026 World Cup. Following these successes, which have paved the way for a new four-year contract for De la Fuente, the aim is to ensure the Spanish system continues to run smoothly until 2030. The prospect of highly respected managers such as Klopp and Zidane continuing their international careers at the helm of Germany and France, respectively, following the World Cup, is already exciting us for the 2028 European Championship, which Britain will host and where they will be among the natural favourites. The Nations League will also serve as a good testing ground ahead of the great showdown we are set to witness in the cradle of football. England, who will continue with Thomas Tuchel for the European Championship they are set to host, lost the finals of the last two European Championships and finished third in the most recent World Cup. Having consistently hovered around the top in recent major tournaments but never quite managed to secure the title, the English left a lasting impression of footballing excellence by defeating France 6–4 in the third-place play-off at the World Cup. The match at Wembley between the two teams that won the third-place and final matches of the tournament will provide football fans with one of the most eagerly anticipated evenings of the opening week.

A fantastic experience at Wembley

Wembley – the largest, with the greatest spectator capacity, and whilst perhaps not the most technologically advanced, it remains football’s most exciting and iconic stadium – is a place where one simply must experience watching a match at least once. The England v Spain match is also among the best options for enjoying this experience. The fact that these two teams, who faced each other in the final of the 2024 European Championship, are meeting for the first time since that final lends this match a sense of a rematch. The young players included in Tuchel’s squad – which has seen significant changes – will have to work hard to secure a place in the Euro 2028 squad. Tuchel has made 10 changes to the squad – including players such as Foden, Madueke, Watkins, Toney and Reece James, who were all part of the squad that finished third at the World Cup – and these changes are a sign that he is exploring new options. In Spain, whilst there have been minor changes due to injuries, De la Fuente looks set to continue with the squad he has utilised so effectively and successfully to date. If you’d like to spend this return fixture evening at Wembley, be sure to get your tickets.

England vs Spain

The match between England and Spain – both favourites to finish in the top two of Group A3, where they’ll be competing alongside Croatia and the Czech Republic – will see the winner gain a significant advantage in progressing from the group. In previous editions of the tournament, where the four group winners competed in a ‘final four’ format comprising semi-finals and a final, from this season onwards, the top two teams from each group will be drawn against each other in a cross-bracket format starting from the quarter-finals. To be part of this crucial match, which is also vital for securing top spot in the group, England v Spain match tickets are available on Seatpin.