Thomas Tuchel had said he wanted evidence. He needed to believe his coaching was working. He needed to see something that told him he could help England overcome those DNA deficiencies he had identified in the aftermath of the devastating World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina.

He needed a glimpse of his England team closing the gap to the best. He needed to cling on to the idea that they could overhaul Spain, that the work he was doing could improve England so much they could win the European Championship in 2028 and end this country’s cursed cycle of despair.

Proof of concept, he called it on Saturday night when England arrived in Madrid. ‘This will be proof of concept on the highest level,’ Tuchel predicted. ‘It’s the biggest test in world football. Spain seems unbeatable but we are trying to take it away from them. We are up for something spectacular.’

Something spectacular is what Tuchel promised and something spectacular is what both he and England delivered. Spain had not lost for 43 matches, a world record, but number 44 was beyond them. For just over an hour, England destroyed them. They outplayed them. They stripped them of their invincibility.

And then, when Elliot Anderson was sent off after 63 minutes for pulling back Lamine Yamal, and Spain stormed back into the game, England somehow managed to hold on for a momentous victory in the screaming, yelling cauldron of the Metropolitano. This was proof alright. This was proof positive.

Sure, it was nervy for half an hour. And, yes, England nearly found a way to throw it away. But the way they played when it was 11 v 11 was enough for any England fan to believe that England under Tuchel can climb back to the summit of a major tournament and gaze down on a view they have not seen for 60 years.

England recorded a famous victory over Spain in Madrid as they won a five-goal thriller

Elliot Anderson’s red card opened the door for the world champions to mount a comeback

James Trafford made a superb double save in stoppage time to preserve England’s lead

Yes, this was a Nations League dead rubber because both teams were already guaranteed progress to the quarter-finals next March, but there was no mistaking its wider significance. This was proof England are good enough to turn away from the trail of tears that has been their path for so long. Before the game, Spain had held the World Cup aloft again as one final reminder of England’s failure but by the end, by the time goalkeeper James Trafford had added to the drama with a miraculous double save, the glory and the 3-2 triumph was England’s.

Spain had won their last 12 matches in succession and the sport’s last two major tournament. They had not been beaten since March 2024 and had not lost at home since September 2022. England ended that run with 10 men. What a night. It was a special kind of crazy.

England had celebrated Harry Kane’s Ballon d’Or triumph and caps record at Wembley last week but Spain took things a stage further before the game. The boys who won the U15 World Cup were introduced to the crowd. Then the World Cup itself was carried on for goalkeeper Unai Simon to hold aloft.

England ignored it all. They started the game like an express train. They nearly took the lead inside the first two minutes when Jude Bellingham met a corner from Declan Rice on the edge of the six-yard-box and was only denied by a brilliant reaction save from Simon. Gordon’s follow-up was destined for the bottom corner before it was blocked by a Spain defender.

Spain were rattled. The crowd whistled. England forced their opponents into mistake after mistake at the back. From one of those successful presses, Kane drilled a shot inches wide. Gordon, who has made such a fine start to his Barcelona career, revelled on the stage and caused right back Marc Pubill all manner of anxieties.

Spain could barely break out of their own half but when they did, after a quarter of an hour, Yamal ran at Lewis Hall and nutmegged him before Rice chopped the teenager down. Rice was booked by French referee Clement Turpin and Lamal windmilled his hands in the air to wind up the crowd.

Pubill was replaced midway through the half. It looked like an injury but it could have been hurt pride or twisted blood. Gordon had barely given him a moment’s rest. In fact, Gordon was tireless. He harried Martin Zubimendi off the ball with ease and almost set up a chance for Bellingham.

England got the goal they deserved a minute before half-time. The build-up was controversial. Anderson played a fine through ball to Kane that doubled as a crunching tackle on Marc Cucurella. Cucurella went down as if he had been shot, which is what Cucurella always does.

Ben White slotted the ball through the keeper’s legs after a brilliant England move

Harry Kane celebrates goal No 93 for England after giving them the lead from the penalty spot 

The referee allowed play to continue. Kane advanced on goal and turned inside Pau Cubarsi, Spain’s brilliant young defender. Cubarsi brought him down and the referee pointed to the spot. Cucurella still lay prone. Bellingham, his Real Madrid teammate, leaned over him and told him what he thought of him.

There were a whole host of VAR checks but England passed all of them. The crowd whistled their distaste. Kane missed a penalty in the Wembley game between these two teams in September but he did not miss this one. Simon guessed the right way but Kane hit it too fiercely and it bulged the back of the net. It was his 93rd goal for England.

Spain are not used to being bossed around like this. Tempers flared after the whistle blew for half-time. Ben White and Fabian Ruiz joined in a disagreement of some sort and soon there was a flurry of pushing and shoving. It stopped short of being a melee but it was obvious Spain were shaken.

Eight minutes into the second half, England went further ahead. Rice swung a corner into the centre of the box and, as the usual wrestling match unfolded, Ezri Konsa ran in gloriously unmarked and nodded the ball down and past the helpless Simon from close range.

Four minutes later, against a general backdrop of disbelief, England were three ahead. What a goal it was, too. Bellingham, who had been his usual superhuman self, muscled his way free in the centre and fed the ball out to Kane.

Kane held the ball up and played it back to Bellingham on the edge of the box. Bellingham spotted the overlapping run of White and found him with a clever pass. White took a touch and slotted the ball past Simon. It was the Arsenal full-back’s first competitive England start, too. Maybe now England fans will stop booing him.

This was the night Thomas Tuchel had been crying out for as he got the evidence he demanded

Ezri Konsa met Declan Rice’s set-piece to plant an unstoppable header in the back of the net

But then, midway through the half, England gave Spain a lifeline. Jarell Quansah was caught in possession by Yamal and as Yamal bore down on goal, Anderson pulled him back. Anderson was shown a red card and Spain were awarded a penalty. Oyarzabal waited for Trafford to commit himself and then stroked the ball into the opposite corner.

The atmosphere in the stadium was transformed. Spain sensed vulnerability in England for the first time. Fifteen minutes from time, they pulled another goal back. Yamal sprinted away down the right and slid the ball into the middle for substitute Nico Williams, who sidefooted it past Trafford.

Now, it was like the Alamo. Yamal tormented England. Trafford dived at full length to push away one of his shots and then got down at his near post to divert a shot that was creeping in. White produced another of the moments of the night with a flying block to keep out a goalbound shot from Williams.

Spain through everything at England but England would not yield. When Trafford made that double save, everyone knew. It was to be England’s night. Tuchel had his proof of concept.