Tuchel insists England showed again that they can compete with top sides – despite narrow defeat to Spain

Thomas Tuchel defended England's ability to compete with top teams following their narrow 3-2 defeat to Spain. Tuchel was frustrated by questions about England's record against top-ranked nations, arguing that similar statistics aren't highlighted when his team is winning. England have won just six of their past 15 games against top-ten ranked opponents.

Tuchel pointed out that England beat three top ten teams at the World Cup, but critics point to the team's recent narrow loss. England pushed Spain close with goals from Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane, but were ultimately punished for too many errors, particularly in key moments. Lamine Yamal gave Spain an early lead, followed by an equalizer from Alex Baena after Harry Kane missed a penalty.

Mikel Oyarzabal then secured the win for Spain. Tuchel emphasized that his team did everything to beat Spain, but highlighted that mistakes were too high on England's side. He noted that Spain were more composed and clinical in the final stages. Despite the loss, Tuchel believes the team's performance warranted a win, though the result doesn't prove it.

He remains committed to pushing the team forward, confident that they can still beat top opposition in tournaments.