Metropolitano to Host Spain vs England in the UEFA Nations League

Luis de la Fuente's side will face what could prove to be a decisive fixture in their bid to qualify for a fourth consecutive UEFA Nations League Finals. The match will pit two of international football's leading nations against each other, with both teams arriving as semi-finalists at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and regular contenders in the latter stages of major European and global tournaments.

The Riyadh Air Metropolitano, with a capacity of 70,692, will once again provide the stage as the reigning world and European champions return to Madrid.

Since its inauguration, Atlético de Madrid's home ground has hosted three senior men's international matches involving Spain. The stadium staged its first international on 27 March 2018, when Spain produced a memorable 6–1 victory over Argentina. It later hosted a 5–0 win against Romania, which secured qualification for UEFA Euro 2020, before welcoming a goalless draw with Portugal in a pre-Euro 2020 friendly in June 2021.

Spain remain unbeaten at the Metropolitano, having recorded two wins and one draw, scoring 11 goals and conceding just one.

The stadium has also witnessed another landmark moment for Spanish football. On 2 December 2025, it hosted the Spain women's national team's victory in the UEFA Women's Nations League, where they lifted the competition's trophy for a second time.

The meeting with England will add another chapter to one of European football's longest-standing rivalries. The two nations have met 28 times, with the head-to-head record standing at 11 Spanish victories, four draws and 13 wins for England.

The most recent encounter remains one of the defining moments in Spanish football history: the UEFA Euro 2024 final on 14 July at Berlin's Olympic Stadium, where Luis de la Fuente's side defeated England to secure the fourth European Championship title in Spain's history.

The balance between the two teams is expected to be on display once again over two high-profile fixtures—26 September in London and 15 November in Madrid—with both matches likely to prove decisive in the race for a place at the UEFA Nations League Finals.