England’s performance against Spain at Wembley was dominant in a way very few teams have managed against the world champions in recent years. Not in goals, and not in possession either, but in territory: Thomas Tuchel’s side registered 36 touches inside the visitors’ penalty area, a figure that stands out sharply against Spain’s recent record.
The context makes the number look even more striking. Spain conceded just 9.5 touches per 90 minutes in their own box at the 2026 World Cup, and across the final three rounds of that tournament Belgium, France and Argentina combined for only 38 touches in the Spain penalty area. Since available records began at the start of Euro 2016, the highest box-touch total any side has recorded against Spain is Germany’s 45 in the Euro 2024 quarter-final — a match that went to extra time. France managed 42 in normal time during last year’s Nations League semi-final, which they lost 5-4. England’s 36 ranks second among teams to have faced Spain in regular time, from a sample of 133 matches.
Getting there, however, is not the same as making it count. Germany generated 2.15 non-penalty expected goals from their 45 box touches, France 1.95, and England just 0.95. Tuchel’s side averaged 5.1 box touches for every shot they took inside the penalty area, or 5.8 once Harry Kane’s spot kick is removed — a level of inefficiency that stands out even against Tottenham, who have been criticised for exactly this problem this season and whose Premier League-leading average of 3.6 is comfortably below England’s figure against Spain.
The reason England struggled to turn territory into high-value chances was the way Spain compressed the space, closing off passing lanes and lines of sight to goal. Bukayo Saka’s evening serves as the clearest illustration. His 10 touches in the box were two more than Argentina managed across the full 120 minutes of the World Cup final. Yet Saka had only one shot from inside the area, curling it wide of the far post midway through the second half. He was tackled twice while trying to make something happen and failed to control the ball on a couple of occasions. Four of the five passes he attempted from within the penalty area went back outside it, away from goal.
Anthony Gordon was next for England with five box touches. One of his two passes in the area was a cutback that Unai Simón gathered, while the other went backwards to the edge of the box. Jude Bellingham’s solitary pass inside the area went astray, and Kane did not attempt one at all. Morgan Gibbs-White completed a single pass in the Spain box in the 95th minute, which was the sum total produced by England’s five substitutes.
The picture was not entirely one-sided, because both of England’s assists and one of their goals came from outside the box — proof that inefficiency inside the area need not be decisive. The problem was what Spain did with far less of the ball in that same zone. Their Wembley total of 15 box touches was less than half their per-90 average at the World Cup of 32.5, but the quality was unmistakable: Spain recorded five shots worth at least 0.26 expected goals from inside the box, compared with one England effort, plus the penalty, that cleared the same benchmark. Tuchel’s players repeatedly ran into a defensive wall once they entered the area, whereas Spain cut through the home backline with relative ease. Their best openings came from passes into the box or through balls, and two of the latter created Opta-defined big chances while Spain led 1-0, both of which were missed by Ferran Torres.
Having 36 box touches against the side the World Football Elo Ratings considers the greatest international team of all time is an achievement that should not be dismissed lightly. But despite Gordon’s claim afterwards that there is no gap between England and Spain, the data suggests otherwise. Tuchel’s task now is to make his team as resolute defensively as the world champions and as sharp in front of goal.