WHAT A magnificent match, magnificent victory and magnificent performance by this new, rejuvenated England team.
 
On an appalling day with the wind and rain driving down across Wembley from first to last, two splendid sides produced a thriller for the 80,000 spectators. With two fine wins behind them, England were looking for an even bigger confidence booster and they took on the Spaniards determined to show them all that is best about English football.

Within 30 seconds of the start England were granted the wish that they wanted when they scored a precious early goal, A fine move down the right between Bryan Douglas and Bobby Smith ended with a diagonal pass across the face of the penalty area. Before the Spanish defenders could react, Jimmy Greaves burst through the rain, took the ball at top speed, slid through the gap and guided home a low shot past Ramellets. That was just the start England needed and both sides were soon producing some sparkling football.

In the 14th minute, Spain gained a superb equaliser. Fabulous play by Suarez began the move which was carried on by Di Stefano and Mateos. Then, in came Del Sol to finish off the attack with a clinical strike.

With Peter Swan and Ron Flowers holding the middle together well, England's 4-2-4 formation looked effective. Bobby Robson, who got through a mountain of work keeping tabs on Di Stefano as well as supporting Johnny Haynes in midfield, had an excellent game. Bobby Charlton and Greaves were sharp and dangerous up front and the whole side was an impressive unit.

Just before the interval, England regained the lead. A short free-kick by Robson to Jimmy Armfield enabled the full-back to put in a lovely centre. On the end of it, of all people, was Douglas, popping up in the centre-forward position to glance home a brilliant header. It was old fashioned but very effective, indeed the English game at its best.

The lead was certainly deserved and England must have been well satisfied with their first-half display. However, immediately after the break Spain levelled the scores again. A good run by the speedy Gento ended with him pulling the ball back for Suarez to sweep it wide of Ron Springett's dive.

The game was buzzing at this stage with the crowd revelling in the skills on show and forgetting the atrocious weather. The best was yet to come as in the last half-hour England's challenge reached a new peak. Charlton suddenly found extra venom as he cut the Spaniards' defence repeatedly to set up chances for his forward colleagues. From one such run, England regained the lead for a third time. This time Charlton's pass found Smith unmarked to head home and then ten minutes from the end England wrapped it all up with an exquisite fourth goal.

Robson began the move and when Smith took his pass, the centre-forward looked up and chipped in a perfect shot over the advancing Ramallets from some 25 yards.

It was a dream come true for the fans and the final icing on the cake came in the closing minutes when England treated the Spaniards to some of their own medicine, cleverly keeping possession with numerous passes which the visitors could not get near. It was poetic justice as England had suffered the same fate in Madrid last May.

It was also a lovely feeling, seeing England get their own back in such style.
  

As in Madrid five months earlier, torrential rain turned the pitch into a miniature lake, but this time it was England who kept their feet better against an exceptional Spanish team that included their big shots di Stefano, del Sol, Suarez and Gento. England started and finished their victory romp with classic goals, the first from Jimmy Greaves and the second from Bobby Smith, who delicately chipped the ball over the goalkeeper's head from 20 yards to break the Spanish spirit after they had twice battled back to equalize. One of the outstanding features of the game - as in Madrid - was the duel between Armfield and Gento, with the Blackpool full-back emerging triumphant against one of the greatest wingers of all time. Remembering how Spain had tried to humble them in Madrid with keep-ball passing, England gave the Spaniards a taste of their own medicine and had the Wembley spectators roaring as they stitched together dozens of passes.
 

Spain had lost on both their previous visits to England, the last occasion being at Wembley in 1953. They had beaten England 3-0 in Madrid, however, just five months earlier. Spain had also reached the European Championship quarter-finals but politics forced them to withdraw from a meeting with the eventual winners, the USSR.
England took a first minute lead. Smith's pass found Jimmy Greaves who shot low to beat Ramellets. Spain were not behind for long. Luis Del Sol taking a pass from Mateos to equalise. England regained the lead before the break. Armfield crossed and Bryan Douglas headed home. Spain levelled again just afterwards when Gento broke away, then pulled it back to enable Luis Saurez to shoot past Springett. England were not to be denied, though. Bobby Smith headed them in front once more from Charlton's centre. Then, in the 80th minute, Smith took a pass from Robson and brilliantly lobbed the 'keeper from 25 yards for his second.
Spain finished bottom of their group in the 1962 World Cup in Chile but won the European Championship in their own country in 1964. They returned to Wembley to face the World Cup holders in 1967.
Two European Footballers of the Year, Alfredo Di Stefano (who won it twice) and Luis Suarez (the 1960 winner) who scored their second goal, made their first appearance at Wembley. Only Di Stefano would return, for the FA's Centenary match in 1963.
       

The selectors relied upon the same team against Spain, which was likely to offer the hardest game of the season. Although Wilson was now fit again left-back McNeil retained his place as he had been impressive in his first two games. A crowd of 85,000 watched the match in spite of the torrential rain which waterlogged the Wembley pitch, producing conditions unfavourable to the Spanish players. At the kick-off, a move involving Douglas and Smith ended with Greaves securing the ball at top pace and scoring with a low shot. England then dominated the play throughout, although the Spaniards equalised twice before goals by Smith in the second half put the result beyond doubt. Del Sol equalised England's opening goal in the thirteenth minute but Douglas regained the lead just after halftime when he headed home a centre from right-back Armfield. Although England attacked early in the second half, it was Spain, through Suarez, who scored. England mastered a tense situation to score in the sixty-eighth minute when Smith met Charlton's centre with his head and veered the ball beyond the reach of the Spanish goalkeeper. Twelve minutes later, Smith neatly volleyed the ball over the advancing Ramallets.