England 2-3 Spain: Thomas Tuchel makes extraordinary "dominated" claim as Nations League opener ends in defeat

Thomas Tuchel insisted that England were the better side against Spain and dominated despite losing 3-2 at Wembley.

The Three Lions marked their first game back from the World Cup with a defeat to champions Spain on Saturday, with strikes from Harry Kane and Anthony Gordon not enough to secure victory in the Nations League.

England's task was made difficult after Lamine Yamal pounced on an error from Marc Guehi in the 2nd minute to open the scoring.

However, manager Tuchel argued his side were the better team after the opening 10 minutes, telling ITV: "A terrible start, the worst start possible made it so difficult against this kind of team. The reaction was very good and, after the 10th minute, I think we were the better team.

"We still made two or three big mistakes and conceded big changes, but overall we were better and dominated. Unfortunately, we couldn't convert the penalty which might have been the decisive moment because Spain would have believed for the first time that their unbeaten run ends here.

"Then another big, big mistake for 2-2. There were too many big individual mistakes."

Nico O'Reilly also made a significant error in the buildup to Spain's second goal, and Tuchel may feel that his side would have won had they avoided costly errors.

?️ "Overall, we were better, we dominated in the opponents half" ?

Thomas Tuchel reflects on England's 3-2 defeat to Spain at Wembley ???????#ITVFootball | @gabrielclarke05 | @England pic.twitter.com/HIDjYfYNeg
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) September 26, 2026

Is Thomas Tuchel right about England after Spain Nations League defeat?

Considering Spain squandered numerous opportunities in both halves, Tuchel's comments are not necessarily an accurate reflection of the match.

England would have taken a 3-1 lead had Kane converted from the penalty spot in the second half, though La Roja could argue Ferran Torres should have given the visitors a 2-0 lead.

Spain only produced 15 touches inside the box compared to the hosts' 37, but they also missed three big chances across the 90 minutes.

England were vulnerable defensively throughout, and while they limited Spain's ability to enter the box, they failed to prevent their opponents from regularly threatening James Trafford's goal.

Thomas Tuchel future: Should England boss be worried by Spain defeat?

The Nations League will not be seen as a priority for Tuchel, who will be fully focused on preparing for Euro 2028, which is set to be co-hosted by the UK and Ireland.

However, the fact that England still struggle against the world's best sides will be a concern for the head coach, with the likes of Italy, France, Argentina and now Spain all getting the better of the Three Lions in recent years.

England were not at full strength on Saturday, and they will likely look better defensively once stars such as Declan Rice return, but it will be important for Tuchel to prove that he can get the better of the Three Lions' rivals in order to boost confidence amongst the squad and fanbase.