Oyarzabal's substitute strike turns the tide for Spain in Nations League

Spain recovered from an early deficit to beat England 3‑2 in the opening match of UEFA Nations League 2026‑27 Group A3 on the 26th, with substitute forward Miguel Oyarzabal scoring the decisive late goal. The win gave the World Cup champions their first Nations League points of the campaign.

England struck after two minutes when Barcelona forward Ramin Yamal scored, but a Harry Kane penalty hit the cross‑bar. Spain levelled via Alex Baena's low shot at the 60th minute and, after Oyarzabal entered as a substitute, he chipped the winner from Baena's pass in the 74th minute.

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After the game Oyarzabal said, “It was a good match. The first half was tough but we found momentum in second half.” He noted that Spain, from their 2026 World Cup triumph, are now targeting Nations League title they have not held for two editions. Oyarzabal, who started every World Cup match, replaced Paris Saint‑Germain forward Ferland Torres after 54 minutes in that tournament.