Spain preserved its 2½-year unbeaten streak by rallying to beat Croatia thanks to a clutch second-half double from super-sub Mikel Merino, while Harry Kane scored two more goals on another record-setting match for the England captain.
The marathon batch of Nations League matches ended Tuesday with Merino — a star off the bench so many times for Spain in recent years — powering home an 88th-minute strike to complete the world champions’ stirring recovery in a 2-1 win in Split.
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Switzerland's Dan Ndoye celebrates scoring during the Nations League soccer match between Switzerland and North Macedonia in Lucerne, Switzerland, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. (Michael Schmid/Keystone via AP)
Slovenia's Erik Janza, left, and Scotland's Ben Gannon-Doak battle for the ball during the Nations League soccer match between Scotland and Slovenia in Glasgow, Scotland, Tuesday Oct. 6, 2026. (Andrew Milligan/PA via AP)
England's coach Thomas Tuchel hugs Harry Kane during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between England and Czechia in London, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
England's Harry Kane celebrates after scoring third goal during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between England and Czechia in London, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Spain's Mikel Merino, center, celebrates scoring his side's 2nd goal during a Nations League soccer match between Croatia and Spain in Split, Croatia, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
The Arsenal midfielder had already equalized in the 61st minute after entering as a halftime substitute, with Spain trailing to a goal by veteran midfielder Ivan Perišić. That marked the first time the Spanish had conceded the first goal in a match since the European Championship in 2024.
Kane’s double in England’s 3-0 win over Czechia came on his record-tying 125th appearance for his country. It took him to 91 international goals, extending an outright England record.
“It was the perfect night for me personally and also the team,” said the Bayern Munich striker, who is among the favorites for the Ballon d'Or being awarded on Oct. 26.
Spain joined Portugal as the only teams to win all four of their group games in the Nations League over the last two weeks and has confirmed its place in the competition's quarterfinals taking place in March.
England's only dropped points in that period? They came in a loss to Spain.
Time and again, Merino delivers off the bench for his country.
At the recent World Cup, he netted a stoppage-time winner over Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal in the round of 16 and then in the 88th minute to see off Belgium in the quarterfinals a few days later.
Two years earlier, Spain's progress to the Euro 2024 title included a win over Germany in the quarterfinals sealed by Merino's 119th-minute winner.
On Tuesday, there he was again, dancing around the corner flag — to mimic his father Miguel's goalscoring celebration from the early 1990s — after coming to Spain's rescue against Croatia.
“He understands these moments in a match so well,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said. “He’s got that gift for goals and important ones, too.”
His first goal was a lovely sidefooted finish after Merino received a short pass in the area from Dani Olmo. The second, scored when Croatia was down to 10 men after Perišić's sending-off for two yellow cards, was a rising shot that flew into the roof of the net.
Spain is now undefeated in 42 matches dating back to a loss to Colombia in March 2024 and is still setting the standard in world soccer.
England coach Thomas Tuchel said this week he was running out of superlatives for Kane, and the striker's teammates think the same.
“There’s not much more you can say that hasn’t already been said," England star Jude Bellingham said after Kane inspired the team to a third straight win and the brink of the Nations League quarterfinals.
“He is the best England player to ever wear the shirt and it is an honor to play with him."
Kane, who moved level with former goalkeeper Peter Shilton on the list of most caps won for England’s men’s team, swept home a close-range finish in the 40th minute and headed home at a corner in the 57th to push to 91 England goals.
Before that, it was Kane who sent in the cross that Czechia right back Vladimir Coufal turned into his own net to put England ahead.
Kane can break the appearance record when England plays Croatia on Nov. 12, also at Wembley.
“He will inspire loads and loads of young people to play football and encourage people to have a career like him and try their luck,” Tuchel said. “He’s a fantastic role model and he deserves the praise.”
Another team on maximum points is Switzerland, which beat North Macedonia 3-0 in the second-tier League B thanks to goals by Fabian Rieder, Johan Manzambi and Dan Ndoye in Lucerne.
The Swiss, quarterfinalists at the World Cup and one of Europe's most consistent soccer nations, are heading for promotion back to the top level of the competition.
Things look much bleaker for Scotland, though, after a 2-1 home loss to Slovenia that ended with boos from supporters at Hampden Park.
Sebastien Pocognoli has picked up four points from a possible 12 in his first camp as Scotland coach after replacing Steve Clarke.
While Scotland's other home loss in this international window — 3-0 to the Swiss — can be attributed to a quality opponent and an early red card, this latest defeat will raise more questions — especially after the hosts went ahead thanks to Ryan Christie’s close-range goal.
Aljosa Matko and Danijel Sturm scored in the second half for Slovenia.
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Switzerland's Dan Ndoye celebrates scoring during the Nations League soccer match between Switzerland and North Macedonia in Lucerne, Switzerland, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. (Michael Schmid/Keystone via AP)
Slovenia's Erik Janza, left, and Scotland's Ben Gannon-Doak battle for the ball during the Nations League soccer match between Scotland and Slovenia in Glasgow, Scotland, Tuesday Oct. 6, 2026. (Andrew Milligan/PA via AP)
England's coach Thomas Tuchel hugs Harry Kane during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between England and Czechia in London, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
England's Harry Kane celebrates after scoring third goal during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between England and Czechia in London, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Spain's Mikel Merino, center, celebrates scoring his side's 2nd goal during a Nations League soccer match between Croatia and Spain in Split, Croatia, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
SEATTLE (AP) — Federal authorities said Tuesday that they have arrested and charged a 30-year-old from Washington state with encouraging an 18-year-old to commit one of the worst school shootings in Canada's history by offering to livestream the February attack, providing money and sharing advice on how to delete online messages to keep the plot a secret.
The U.S. attorney’s office in Seattle said James Cody Bryant of Bellingham, Washington, communicated with Jesse Van Rootselaar in British Columbia for at least six months ahead of the shooting. Bryant, who identifies as female, did not report Van Rootselaar's plans to authorities, authorities allege.
W. Mike Herrington, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Seattle office, said without Bryant's “misplaced loyalty" and willingness to livestream the killings, officials didn't know if Van Rootselaar would have gone through with the attack.
“We certainly know the shooter was concerned that not enough people would see the livestream without Bryant broadcasting it and was depending on Bryant to amplify the livestream because the shooter did not have many followers on social media," Herrington added.
Authorities say Van Rootselaar first killed her mother and stepbrother at home before attacking a nearby school in the mountain community of Tumbler Ridge, killing five children ages 12 and 13 at the school as well as an educational assistant. Twenty-five others were wounded.
Van Rootselaar was later found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Investigators accessed Van Rootselaar's Twitch account and found that she had initiated a video livestream while sitting in her vehicle with a rifle and long gun in her lap. The livestream lasted about 20 seconds before it was disconnected, and was only viewed by one other account.
Bryant was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country — a “novel” charge for a case like this, said Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd during a press conference.
Bryant made a first appearance in court on Tuesday afternoon and is being detained ahead of a preliminary hearing set for Oct. 20. The federal public defender's office, which represents Bryant, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Communicating over Discord with Van Rootselaar, Bryant gave tactical advice on how to carry out the killings to have the strongest impact, according to the complaint.
“Hallways also mean a lot of ways people can escape,” Bryant wrote, the complaint said. “Corners to turn. Wide open spaces means numbers.”
Bryant also sent Van Rootselaar money to purchase a lighter that would be used to construct an explosive device and advised Van Rootselaar about how to keep the plot a secret by deleting online messages and using virtual private networks, officials said.
According to the criminal complaint, Bryant and Van Rootselaar met online about three years ago on Omegle, a since-shuttered video chat site that connected users with strangers at random. Their communications were sporadic during the first year because she was “institutionalized” after being deemed a danger to herself, the complaint said. She was locked up again after setting her room on fire. But they spoke daily during the six months leading up to the attack, officials said.
“Van Rootselaar often spoke about planning to use guns to murder her family members and others because she felt she had been mistreated,” the complaint said.
Both Van Rootselaar and Bryant identified as trans, Herrington said. But authorities do not have any indication that’s why they stayed connected online, he said.
Bryant tried to talk Van Rootselaar out of committing the attack at various points, authorities said.
“I truly hope you reconsider today,” Bryant told her in January, according to the complaint. “I wish there were any other path for you, you shouldn’t have to do something like this.”
But ultimately, Bryant did not alert law enforcement and instead provided support for carrying out the shooting, authorities said.
When Van Rootselaar expressed concern that Bryant would “snitch” and alert authorities, Bryant repeatedly assured her that would not happen, officials said.
“I could,” Bryant wrote, according to the filing. “I don’t want to honestly. I know I can like, save lives I guess but idk,” using the abbreviation for “I don’t know.”
Canadian Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said in Ottawa that the allegations were devastating.
“Nothing will bring back the eight lives that were devastated back in February, but it is important that those who are responsible are held to account," he told reporters.
Anandasangaree said it was too soon to say whether Bryant could also face charges in Canada, but added that Canadian prosecution would be possible if investigators determine Canadian laws were broken.
Bob Zimmer, the federal lawmaker who represents Tumbler Ridge, said the victims deserve answers.
“It is deeply troubling, the allegations that this individual coached the shooter all throughout the process in an effort to livestream the event,” Zimmer said.
Tumbler Ridge in the Canadian Rockies is more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) northeast of Vancouver, British Columbia, near the provincial border with Alberta. The provincial government website lists Tumbler Ridge Secondary School as having 175 students from Grades 7 to 12.
The families of victims are suing artificial intelligence company OpenAI in U.S. federal court, seeking to hold the ChatGPT maker responsible for failing to alert police to the shooter’s alarming interactions with the chatbot.
The story and headline have been corrected to identify Bryant as a resident of Washington. Authorities say Bryant identifies as female.
Associated Press reporter Rob Gillies contributed to this report from Toronto.
In this photo taken with a smartphone, Mike Herrington, the FBI special agent in charge, speaks to the media while Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd, right, listens, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Manuel Valdes)
In this photo taken with a smartphone, Elija Rain, the assistant commissioner of the British Columbia Royal Canadian Mounted Police, speaks to the media on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, in Seattle. Standing next to Rain are Mike Herrington, the FBI special agent in charge, left, and Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd, right. (AP Photo/Manuel Valdes)
In this photo taken with a smartphone, Mike Herrington, the FBI special agent in charge, speaks to the media on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, in Seattle. Standing next to Herrington are Elija Rain, the assistant commissioner of the British Columbia Royal Canadian Mounted Police, left, and Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd, right. (AP Photo/Manuel Valdes)
FILE - People pay their respects at a memorial on the steps of the Town Hall, following a vigil the previous day, in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada, Feb. 14, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
FILE - A mother and son pay their respects at a memorial for the victims of a mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada, Feb. 14, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
