Roy Keane Says England Still Trail Spain Despite Wembley Fightback
England must reset quickly after Spain claimed a 3-2 Wembley win, with Roy Keane insisting there remains a clear divide between the sides despite Anthony Gordon’s belief that the Three Lions are close to the world and European champions.
Gordon, the Barcelona winger and former Everton player, scored England’s equaliser before Harry Kane put Thomas Tuchel’s team 2-1 ahead before the break. But Kane missed a second-half penalty after slipping as he struck the ball, allowing Spain to seize control of the contest.
Alex Baena brought Spain level and Mikel Oyarzabal then delivered the late winner, repeating the decisive impact he made against England in the Euro 2024 final.
Keane disputes Gordon’s Spain verdict
Gordon argued that England had shown they could beat Spain and said a successful Kane penalty could have changed the night completely. He felt England would have entered another final against La Roja with real confidence.
Keane rejected that assessment, pointing to Spain’s status as holders of both the World Cup and European Championship. The former Republic of Ireland captain said confidence alone does not remove the gap created by Spain’s record in major tournaments.
Gordon later clarified that he views Spain as the leading side for possession control, but argued England have strengths in other areas. He cited his own goal as an example of England’s direct, rapid attacking approach, moving quickly from one end of the pitch to the other.
England’s Nations League schedule
Tuchel’s squad are in Nations League League A Group 3 with Croatia and Czech Republic. England returned to the top division after promotion from League B last season and now need points to restore momentum.
- Tuesday: England face Czech Republic.
- October 3: England travel to Croatia.
- October 6: England host Czech Republic in the return match.
England’s best Nations League finish remains third place in the competition’s first edition in 2018-19.
