Coach De la Fuente: 'We will not stop winning' - Spain come from behind to beat England 3-2 at Wembley

The No. 10 doesn't die; it just learns to run faster. On Sunday night at Wembley, Spain showed a different version of that immortality — not by keeping the ball until the opposition suffocated, but by knowing the most painful way to win: absorb pressure, concede twice, and rise in the second half.

The opening goal came from a genius moment by Lamine Yamal — Barcelona's right winger cut inside like a drill, finishing with a low, venomous shot. But English football isn't easily subdued by mere skill. Harry Kane and Anthony Gordon turned the game around to 2-1 before halftime ended. The home fortress crumbles when the noise stops — but here, the issue wasn't the home ground; it was a collective asking itself the right question.

At halftime, Luis de la Fuente didn't rage. He talked. "We spoke between the halves," the 63-year-old coach admitted in his post-match press conference. "And we knew that controlling the ball wasn't the answer. Controlling space was the answer." This isn't dry tactical language; it's how he transmitted his message: his team doesn't play by the scoreline; they play by structure.

But the biggest highlight of the Wembley night didn't come from the starting stars. Alex Baena and Mikel Oyarzabal — two names introduced from the bench — scored the decisive goals that pulled Spain from the brink of defeat to a 3-2 victory. "Anyone can come onto the pitch and be ready," De la Fuente emphasized. "I am fortunate to have these players." This sentence, seemingly simple, is actually a calculated tactical manifesto.

What's happening to Spain after the Euro 2026 title? One would think champions become conservative. But De la Fuente is doing the opposite. He is turning squad depth into a strategic weapon. In modern international football, where schedules are congested and wingers like Yamal carry both club and country loads, the ability to make a difference from the bench becomes the biggest competitive advantage.

However, there is a question few dare to ask: is Spain truly controlling matches, or are they deluding themselves about their control? De la Fuente claimed his team was "in complete control," but also admitted "we had about three clear chances." Three chances — in a match against the hosts of Wembley, where the pressure is enormous. This number does not suggest dominance. It shows a team capable of capitalizing on moments in decisive stretches, but also exposes wide gaps in defense.

This leads to an uncomfortable but necessary truth: this victory does not make Spain invincible as the coach declared. Their defense was breached by a direct run from Gordon and a composed finish from Kane. If England hadn't been wasteful, the score could have been 3-3 or worse. Spain won because they have the data on how to win big matches lately: they did it at the Euros, and they believe they can do it again. But belief isn't a tactic. Belief is just the foundation for tactics.

So what's the real lesson from Wembley? It's the difference between a squad with depth and a squad with a thin roster. Spain had both feet in the game — they conceded, they responded, and they never stopped attacking. De la Fuente said: "We went through difficult moments, but this is England." Indeed, "this is England" — and precisely because of that, beating them at Wembley is a test. But to win the Nations League, Spain will face different challenges, against better-organized opponents.

If you look closely at the match structure, you'll see the answer De la Fuente found at halftime: not changing the system, but changing personnel. Baena and Oyarzabal aren't just substitutes; they are predators who know their finishing angles. Oyarzabal, the hero of the Euro 2026 final, showcased that instinct again. Baena, with his technique and long-range shooting, proved that Spain isn't dependent on any individual — they depend on processes.

But there's also an important detail Spain's supporters don't want to hear: their goals came from transition moments — from defense to attack very quickly — not from overwhelming possession. The positional play they built under De la Fuente is being challenged by teams that press high and counter-attack fast. England is one of them. Germany, France, Portugal — they will watch the footage and see that if you press at the right time, Spain can be unraveled.

So, the question isn't whether Spain is good enough to win everything — clearly they are — but whether they can maintain stability amidst tactical turbulence in a long tournament. "We have no intention of stopping winning," De la Fuente declared. That's an ambitious statement, but also an invitation for critics: wait for us to slip. And when that happens, the question won't be why, but what now?

My experience following matches over the past 10 years shows a rule: great teams aren't defined by their wins, but by how they react to losses. Spain hasn't lost — but they were pushed to the wall at Wembley. They rose and won. This is a good sign, but not proof of invincibility.

"We are very happy with the result and the performance," the Spanish coach continued, skillfully wrapping weakness in positivity. "It's true we went through difficult moments, but this is England." This sentence, as I analyze it, is the art of message management: acknowledging difficulty to relieve pressure while celebrating the victory to maintain spirit. De la Fuente is a master at that.

The interesting thing is that he himself admitted to just three clear chances. That tells us Spain didn't create as many chances as we think. They created three — and scored three. This is a frightening conversion rate — but also a warning sign: if this efficiency drops, Spain will face big problems.

Yet, we cannot deny one thing: Spain has an incredible generation of players. Yamal is only 17 but is the creative center of the entire team. Baena and Oyarzabal bring lethal pressure from the bench. And below them, a whole new generation of talent is waiting. Actually, the issue isn't whether Spain has talent — they have plenty. The issue is how they manage that talent to sustain stability in a grueling schedule.

The home fortress was once a stronghold; now it's just an address. This phrase of mine about empty-stadium football in 2026 now applies to another aspect: Wembley is no longer the intimidating venue for visiting teams it used to be. Spain arrived, scored three, and left with three points. They didn't need home support; they just needed a clear plan and players good enough to execute it.

But even the most optimistic must pause at a number: two goals conceded. Two goals at Wembley against an England side that wasn't overwhelmingly dominant. If Spain wants to defend their crown, they need to patch the holes Kane and Gordon exploited. Their defense was stretched by balls over the top; their center-backs were pulled by intelligent movement. This is a structural issue, not an individual one.

So, what's the key point for the road ahead? Modern football doesn't forgive those who rely only on inspiration. De la Fuente's Spain has discipline, depth, and class. They need a bit more defensive stability. And they need to remember: successfully coming from behind at Wembley is a beautiful memory, not a repeatable tactic.

Looking at the bigger picture of the Nations League, this win puts Spain top of their group. But the journey is long. A series of difficult fixtures ahead will test their endurance, depth, and adaptability. If this "winning machine" continues to run smoothly, we'll witness a dominant force. But if it creaks anywhere, all the declarations will become baggage.

The Wembley night gave us a wonderful story — about resilience, squad depth, and a coach who knows exactly what to say. But the most interesting part of this story is a question: will these praises be repeated a year from now, or will they be just a fleeting page in history? Perhaps the answer depends on whether Spain can learn from this very win. And for me, that's the only question worth solving.

>> Watching De la Fuente up close, I notice he's a man who doesn't waste words. "We talked between the halves and that changed the game," he shared as if to emphasize that top-level football isn't just about flashes of genius, but about analysis, adjustment, and action in the dressing room.

And Spain acted. They turned a losing position into a sweet victory. They showed that winning the European Championship hasn't diminished their hunger. "We never give up" — that's not just De la Fuente's mantra; it's this team's identity.

However, sitting down to analyze this match will give us more lessons than just looking at the score. Other teams will learn to exploit the space behind Spain's fullbacks. They will learn to press high and unsettle the controlling midfield. Wembley exposed these weaknesses. If De la Fuente doesn't fix them, others won't hesitate to exploit them.

But that's a story for the future. For now, Spain stands on top. They just had one of the most memorable performances at football's legendary stadium. They answered the question: after a glorious summer, are they still hungry? The answer came at Wembley, in Baena's free-kick finish, in Oyarzabal's diving header, and in De la Fuente's contented smile after the final whistle.

Now, the question for the rest of Europe is: who will be the first to stop the Spanish machine? If you have an answer, keep it to yourself. Because without strong data, any prediction is just speculation. And De la Fuente, as we just witnessed, is very good at turning such speculations into counter-materials for his own team.

The match ended, Wembley went quiet. Over 80,000 English fans saw their side fall. And on the pitch, the Spanish players embraced in triumph. They didn't just win this match; they conquered fear, doubt, and the painful memories of World Cup failures. Perhaps, the greatest victory of the night isn't in the scoreline — it's in proving that even after glory, they still know how to smile.