Nov 25, 2022; Al Khor, Qatar; England forward Harry Kane (9) acknowledges fans after a group stage match against the United States of America during the 2022 World Cup at Al Bayt Stadium.

soccer

Is Harry Kane Playing Tonight in the England vs Albania FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Match?

Thomas Tuchel makes his highly anticipated managerial debut for the Three Lions.

Nov 25, 2022; Al Khor, Qatar; England forward Harry Kane (9) acknowledges fans after a group stage match against the United States of America during the 2022 World Cup at Al Bayt Stadium.

A new era is upon us and the England football team, as veteran German manager Thomas Tuchel takes over the reins. His journey begins with two FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, the first of which takes place against Albania. Can the Englishmen secure a spot at the grandest stage of them all? As always, one of the keys to victory lies in striker Harry Kane.

The Three Lions will get Group K of the World Cup Qualifiers underway on Friday, before hosting Latvia on Monday – both at the iconic Wembley Stadium in London. After a shock defeat against Greece in October 2024, England have scored 11 goals in their last three fixtures – all of which were in the group stage of the UEFA Nations League.

The shift now focuses from the Nations League to the World Cup in 2026. The current European runners-up have a significant amount of pressure and burden on their shoulders to prove their worth. With a herd of young talent such as Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka (currently injured), Marc Guehi, Marcus Rashford, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden who possess bucketloads of experience, the ‘next gen’ are touted to fulfil one dream – “It’s Coming Home.”

Will Harry Kane Play Against Albania?

Yes, Harry Kane is likely to start in the FIFA World Cup Qualifier vs Albania on Friday. The 31-year-old was confirmed to continue as England captain, and will be gunning to go. Kane has no fitness issues at the moment. The Bayern Munich striker scored a hat-trick when the two sides met in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.

In the ongoing club season, Kane has 32 goals and 9 assists in all competitions for Bayern Munich. A proper #9 who also plays a pivotal role in buildups, there is no doubt that a pragmatic mastermind like Tuchel can bring the best out of him. England’s record of being unbeaten in their last 31 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers will give them huge confidence to take charge of Group K.

Harry Kane Record vs Albania

Harry Kane has scored 4 goals and added 2 assists to his name against the European nation. Both these matches were FIFA World Cup Qualifiers for the event that took place in Qatar in 2022. After getting a goal and an assist in a 2-0 victory, Kane backed it up with a hat-trick as well as another assist in a 5-0 drubbing of Albania.

England have secured 6/6 wins against Albania – their fourth most impressive 100% ratio record. With Albania scoring merely one goal across these matches, there is no doubt that Kane’s men start as firm favourites.

England vs Albania Game Details

Competition: FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers

Date: 21 March 2025

Time: 7:45PM GMT

Venue: Wembley Stadium, London

Making our way down south ahead of tomorrow's game at @WembleyStadium! 🧳 pic.twitter.com/mU4nFOk0FK
— England (@England) March 20, 2025

England Team News: Cole Palmer has been withdrawn from the squad and replaced by Morgan Gibbs-White. Jordan Henderson and Marcus Rashford have been recalled, while Dan Burn received his maiden England call-up.

Albania Team News: Mario Mitaj misses out (Groin Surgery). Elseid Hysaj of Lazio is injured, and Adrian Ismaiji is doubtful due to a knock. Attacking duo of Armando Broja and Rey Manaj return to the setup after missing out in the previous international break.

England vs Albania Betting Odds

England Win 1/7

Draw 11/2

Albania Win 19/1

Bukayo Saka

England

FIFA World Cup

Harry Kane

Jude Bellingham

Phil Foden

Sankalp Harikrishnan

A passionate sports fan through and through, I am currently pursuing my MA in Global Sports Journalism. I specialise in tennis and football writing at The Playoffs News, and I have prior experience working at EssentiallySports and Sportskeeda. Born and raised in Bengaluru, India, sport was my safe space right from my childhood. After trying my hand at multiple sports and representing my educational institutions in cricket, badminton and table tennis, I found sports media to be my calling.