England captain Harry Kane believes the Three Lions are now close to Spain’s level despite their 3-2 defeat to the world champions in the Nations League at Wembley.
Spain took an early lead through Lamine Yamal after England defender Marc Guehi lost possession in the opening minutes of the match.
England responded strongly, with Anthony Gordon equalising in the 36th minute before Kane headed Thomas Tuchel’s side into a 2-1 lead four minutes later.
Kane then had an opportunity to extend England’s advantage from the penalty spot early in the second half, but slipped while taking the kick and sent the ball against the crossbar.
Spain took advantage of the missed opportunity, with substitute Alex Baena scoring the equaliser before Mikel Oyarzabal completed the comeback to give the visitors a 3-2 victory.
Despite the defeat, Kane said England showed during the match that they can compete with Spain, who are the reigning world and European champions.
“I think we’re close, without a doubt,” Kane said after the game, adding that England had demonstrated their ability to challenge Spain during the contest.
The Bayern Munich striker acknowledged that Spain currently have the trophies to support their status but said England must eventually produce the same results on the pitch.
Kane said England showed several positive aspects during the match but failed to take advantage of important moments, particularly after taking the lead.
“We showed a lot of good things on the pitch, but in the big moments, we didn’t quite have it,” he said.
The defeat continued England’s difficult run against Spain, who also beat them in the Euro 2024 final. England later lost to Argentina in the 2026 World Cup semi-final.
Kane nevertheless believes the performance at Wembley showed that England are capable of competing with the strongest teams and that Spain would have recognised the quality of Tuchel’s side.
England will now turn their attention to the remainder of their Nations League campaign as Tuchel continues preparations for the next major international challenges.