Gordon urges England to back their own strengths rather than copy Spain
September 24, 2026 07:50
Anthony Gordon has told England team-mates they should stop trying to copy Spain and instead play to their own strengths, saying controlling games is not in the English "DNA". The Barcelona winger made the remarks at St George's Park as the England squad prepare to face world champions Spain on Saturday.
Gordon, who moved to Barcelona from Newcastle for £69.3m in the summer, said his experience in La Liga had underlined how different the Spanish approach is. "I'm speaking from a point of view where I feel like we are trying to replicate Spain," he said, adding: "I'm not sure it's something that can be taught... It's the way they're built. I don't know whether it is something that maybe we can't ever put a name to, but they're definitely built different."
He also reflected on England's World Cup exit to Argentina, saying he had "never felt worse" after the semi-final defeat and that the "scar" left by that loss "doesn't have to be a negative one because it might lead us to victory in the next tournaments."
CONTEXT
England lost the World Cup semi-final 2-1 to Argentina — Enzo Fernández equalised before Lautaro Martínez scored a stoppage-time winner — then beat France 6-4 to finish third, their best World Cup placing since 1966. Gordon started five of England's games at the tournament, scored in the semi-final and provided four assists. He has made 25 England appearances and scored four goals.
There has been criticism of the manner of the semi-final defeat after head coach Thomas Tuchel substituted Gordon 17 minutes after his goal and switched to a back five, a tactical change that many said invited pressure.
WHY IT MATTERS
Gordon's comments come ahead of a high-profile England v Spain meeting this weekend. Spain, who beat Argentina to win the World Cup, dominated that final with 65% possession and limited their opponents to two shots across 120 minutes, neither on target — a style England are often questioned about matching when facing elite nations.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
England face Spain on Saturday at Wembley. The match will be the first time the squad have met since the World Cup and offers an early opportunity to see whether Gordon's call for a more English approach influences the team's setup.