England winger Anthony Gordon has urged the national team to stop attempting to replicate Spain's possession-based style and instead build their game around qualities unique to English football. His remarks came on Thursday, 25 September 2026, ahead of England's UEFA Nations League fixture against reigning world champions Spain this weekend.

Gordon's Core Argument

'We can't keep looking at other countries and trying to be like them, because we're not them. We're English, and we have our own strengths which they don't have, so maybe we start playing the way we're good at,' Gordon told reporters.

The winger, who moved to Barcelona from Newcastle United, said his first-hand experience of Spanish football has sharpened his perspective. He argued that the two nations possess fundamentally different qualities, and that attempting to bridge that gap by coaching English players into a Spanish mould is misguided.

The World Cup Wound

Gordon's comments carry added weight given England's 2-1 semifinal defeat to Argentina at the recent World Cup — a result he described as leaving 'a lasting scar.' Gordon himself opened the scoring, only to be substituted shortly after as England switched to a back five. Enzo Fernandez equalised before Lautaro Martinez struck the winner in stoppage time to send Argentina through.

'The scar doesn't have to be a negative one because it might lead us to victory in the next tournaments,' Gordon said, framing the setback as a potential turning point rather than a defining failure.

Why Spanish Football Can't Simply Be Taught

Drawing on his experience at Barcelona, Gordon questioned whether Spain's style is even transferable. 'It's not in the English DNA. I'm not sure it's something that can be taught because now I think, playing in Spain, I can speak with an educated view on the way they keep the ball is different,' he said.

He went further, pointing to a near-instinctive quality in Spanish decision-making: 'I even look at some of the decisions they take on the ball sometimes and think I'm not sure how you've seen that. It's the way they're built.'

A Case for Contrast, Not Imitation

Gordon argued that Spain's strengths and England's strengths are complementary opposites — meaning the qualities each side lacks are precisely the ones the other possesses. 'Why are you trying to make those players the same as the Spanish players? Because the Spanish players lack the things that we have and vice versa,' he said.

The 25-cap international, who has scored four goals for England, stopped short of prescribing a specific tactical blueprint, but his remarks align with a growing debate inside English football about identity and playing philosophy at international level.

With England facing Spain in the Nations League this weekend, the match will serve as an immediate and unforgiving test of whether that philosophical question has any bearing on results.