In an ecstatic night, England defeated Latvia by a dominant 5-0 margin in Riga and secured their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They became the first European nation to qualify for the World Cup finals with two games to spare. The result capped off a flawless qualifying campaign so far under Thomas Tuchel.
His side have won all six of their World Cup qualifiers matches without conceding a goal. Anthony Gordon set the tone early with a fine curling strike. Harry Kane then scored a brace before the halftime whistle struck. With those, hs took his total international tally to 76 goals.
A Maksims Tonisevs own goal and then Eberechi Eze’s late finish in the second half sealed another emphatic win for the Three Lions against Latvia. The clean sheet extended Jordan Pickford’s record to nine consecutive shutouts for England.
Tuchel’s appointment initially raised eyebrows from the fans and crisis due to his lack of international experience. However, it seems that the German tactician has quickly delivered results. After qualifying for the World Cup, Tuchel said:
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“It comes rarely that you qualify for a World Cup, so the mood is very, very good. In the dressing room, it’s all smiles, music. It’s a moment to enjoy because it’s a special moment.” The coach emphasized the importance of focus and humility at this point inspite of their comfortable campaign.
Drawing from the memory of England’s friendly defeat to Senegal in June, Tuchel reminded his players never to take results for granted. He told Sky Sports, “You cannot take qualification for granted. For me, it’s important how we qualify and how we play, and I’m very happy with the steps we took.”
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Kane’s brace not only showcased his sharpness but also his leadership in setting the tone for Tuchel’s attacking philosophy. Kane told ESPN following the match, “We hold on to winning games, to clean sheets, to pressing high, scoring goals – and we’ve done all of that,”
England’s blend of tactical discipline, depth, and attacking flair now positions them among the favourites for next summer’s tournament in North America. It will be their first World Cup on U.S. soil since 1994. The hard work, as the England boss has kept insisting, has only just begun.
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