Spain's 43-game unbeaten run is over, and the manner of its end matters. This was not a knockout collapse or a panic-driven stumble. It was a 0-1 defeat to England in Madrid, in a match both teams had already qualified for, but one that still carried the sting of a rematch of the 2024 European Championship final.
So, when was the last time Spain lost a football match? Before this loss, the last defeat in regulation time had come against Colombia in March 2024, while the last home loss was a 1-2 defeat to Switzerland in the Nations League in September 2022. That is the scale of what ended at the Metropolitano Stadium: a long unbeaten stretch that had stretched across 43 games and made Spain look close to untouchable.
Harry Kane lands the blow
England's winner came from Harry Kane, who scored a 45th-minute penalty to give the visitors the edge before the break. It was the kind of moment that can turn a game between already-qualified sides into something much more pointed. Spain still had their share of the ball, but the result is what will stick. England finished first in the group, and Spain were left to absorb a defeat that ended a run built on consistency, control and plenty of resistance.
That is the uncomfortable truth for Spain. A long unbeaten streak can create the impression of invulnerability, but football always has a way of finding the edge. One penalty, one narrow margin, and the whole narrative changes. The record will still look impressive. The unbeaten run was still significant. But the last line in the story is now a loss to England in Madrid, and that is the only detail that really matters.
