Bukayo Saka touched the ball in the penalty area 10 times against Spain – more than Argentina managed collectively in the World Cup final.

Sadly for them, not in terms of goals.

Nor possession.

But ownership of the ball is less important than where on the pitch it occurs.

Thomas Tuchel’s side had 36 touches in the visitors’ penalty area, a ridiculously high total when put in context of Spain’s last decade.

They allowed just 9.5 touches per 90 minutes at the 2026 World Cup.

The combined efforts of Belgium, France and Argentina registered 38 touches in the Spain box in the final three rounds of the tournament.

Since available records began (at the start of Euro 2016), the most box touches a side has had against Spain was the 45 Germany had in the quarter-final of Euro 2024.

However, that game went to extra time.

France had 42 in normal time in the ridiculous Nations League semi-final they lost 5-4 last year, then come England, second best in regular time from a sample of 133 matches.

Chart showing touches inside Spain’s penalty box since the start of Euro 2016Given they were so active in the penalty area, they should have created more.

Germany generated 2.15 non-penalty expected goals in the above example, France 1.95 and England just 0.95.

The latter averaged 5.1 box touches for each shot they had in the penalty area, or 5.8 without Harry Kane’s spot kick.

Tottenham have been criticised for being inefficient in this regard this season and their average of 3.6 – the highest in the Premier League – is well below England’s level against Spain.

England struggled to create high-value chances even when in the box because the Spanish compressed the space so well, leaving very few passing lanes or lines of sight to goal.

Bukayo Saka’s performance provides an excellent case study.

His total of 10 touches in the box was two more than Argentina managed in the 120 minutes of the World Cup final.

Saka had one shot from within the penalty area, which he curled wide of the far post midway through the second half.

He was tackled twice when trying to make things happen, and was unable to control the ball when receiving it a couple of times.

The key lies in his box touches where he was attempting to find a teammate – four of the five passes Saka made from within the penalty area went outside it, away from goal.

Morgan Gibbs-White was the only England substitute to complete a pass in the Spain penalty area.

One of his two passes there was a cutback Unai Simón gathered, the other went backwards to the edge of the box.

But at least that one was successful; Jude Bellingham’s one pass in the area went astray, while Kane did not attempt any.

Morgan Gibbs-White completed one pass in the Spain box in the 95th minute, the sum total from the five substitutes.

As both of their assists and one of their goals came from outside the box, England proved inefficiency within the penalty area need not be decisive.

The problem was Spain showed how lethal they could be inside the 18-yard box even with limited possession there. skip past newsletter promotion after newsletter promotion Chart showing attacking penalty box touches in Spain’s matches since the start of the 2026 World CupTheir Wembley total of 15 box touches was less than half of their per 90 average at the World Cup (32.5).

But ignore the volume, feel the quality.

Spain had five shots worth at least 0.26 expected goals inside the box whereas England only had one effort (plus the penalty) that cleared that benchmark.

Tuchel’s men frequently hit a defensive wall once they were in the penalty area, unlike Spain, who sliced through the home side’s backline with relative ease.

The highest-value chances the visitors created were set up with a pass into the box or a through ball.

Two of the latter laid on Opta-defined big chances at 1-0, both of which were missed by Ferran Torres.

Could England have recovered from two goals down?

It feels doubtful.

To have 36 box touches against the team that World Football Elo Ratings considers to be the greatest international side of all time is an achievement that should not be readily dismissed.

But despite Gordon claiming afterwards there isn’t a gap between England and Spain, there is.

Tuchel must figure out how to make his side as resolute as the world champions at the back and as rapier-like in attack.

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