England exerted a level of pressure on Spain that few opponents have managed in recent years, although that superiority was not reflected in goals or possession. Yet controlling the ball matters less than the areas in which it is used. Thomas Tuchel’s team recorded 36 touches inside Spain’s penalty area, an exceptionally high figure when compared with the visitors’ performances over the past decade.
Spain conceded an average of only 9.5 penalty-area touches per 90 minutes at the 2026 World Cup. Across the final three rounds, Belgium, France and Argentina combined for just 38 touches in the Spanish box. Since records became available at the beginning of Euro 2016, the highest total against Spain was Germany’s 45 in the Euro 2024 quarter-final, although that match required extra time. France managed 42 during regulation time in last year’s extraordinary 5-4 Nations League semi-final defeat. England rank next, placing second across 133 matches decided within normal time.
Chart displaying touches inside Spain’s penalty area since Euro 2016 began
Despite spending so much time in the penalty area, England should have produced more meaningful opportunities. Germany generated 2.15 non-penalty expected goals in the match mentioned earlier, while France recorded 1.95 and England only 0.95. England required an average of 5.1 box touches for every shot attempted there, rising to 5.8 when Harry Kane’s penalty is excluded. Tottenham have faced criticism for similar inefficiency this season, yet their league-high average of 3.6 remains considerably lower than England’s figure against Spain.
England found it difficult to fashion clear openings inside the box because Spain narrowed the available space effectively, restricting both passing routes and views of goal. Bukayo Saka’s display illustrates the issue particularly well. He registered 10 touches in the penalty area, two more than Argentina accumulated throughout the 120-minute World Cup final.
Saka attempted only one shot from inside the area, bending it beyond the far post midway through the second half. He was dispossessed twice while trying to create an opening and failed to bring the ball under control on two other occasions. His passing in the box was especially revealing: four of his five attempts to find a teammate travelled away from goal and back outside the area.
Anthony Gordon recorded England’s second-highest number of penalty-area touches with five. Of his two passes from that position, one was a cutback collected by Unai Simón and the other was played backwards towards the edge of the box. At least the latter reached its intended target. Jude Bellingham’s only pass inside the area was unsuccessful, while Kane did not attempt one. Morgan Gibbs-White completed a pass in Spain’s box in the 95th minute, the only such contribution made by England’s five substitutes.
With both assists and one goal originating outside the penalty area, England demonstrated that a lack of efficiency inside the box does not always determine the outcome. The concern, however, was that Spain showed how clinical they could be within 18 yards despite having relatively few touches there.
Spain managed only 15 penalty-area touches at Wembley, fewer than half their World Cup average of 32.5 per 90 minutes. The quality of those moments mattered more than the quantity. They produced five shots from inside the box valued at 0.26 expected goals or higher, while England had only one attempt, excluding the penalty, above that threshold. Tuchel’s players repeatedly encountered a compact defensive barrier after entering the area, whereas Spain moved through the hosts’ back line with far greater ease.
Spain’s most valuable opportunities resulted from passes delivered into the penalty area or balls played through the defence. Two through balls created clear chances while the score was 1-0, but Ferran Torres failed to convert either of them. Whether England could have responded after falling two goals behind is highly uncertain.
Recording 36 touches in the box against a team rated by World Football Elo Ratings as the strongest international side ever is a notable achievement and should not be overlooked. Even so, despite Gordon’s post-match suggestion that England and Spain are evenly matched, a difference remains. Tuchel must find a way to give England the defensive strength of the world champions while making their attacking play equally sharp and decisive.
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