England secured its spot in the 2026 World Cup with a dominant 5-0 victory over Latvia, qualifying with two games to spare.
England has confirmed its qualification for the 2026 World Cup with a resounding 5-0 win over Latvia in Riga. Thomas Tuchel’s side needed just one victory to assure their place in the showpiece, and they delivered a convincing performance against a Latvian side ranked 137th in the world.
The match saw Anthony Gordon put England ahead after 26 minutes with a low, curling finish. Captain Harry Kane scored twice more before the interval. The first goal came from a strike from the edge of the area, while the second was a penalty kick after his shirt was pulled.
England continued to dominate in the second half, adding a fourth goal just before the hour when Latvia’s Andrejs Ciganiks inadvertently scored an own goal, bundling Djed Spence’s cross into his own net.
Substitute Eberechi Eze further emphasized England’s dominance with a dribble and low finish to make it 5-0 after 86 minutes.
Despite the comfortable win, Tuchel faced some uncomfortable moments, with England’s traveling fans expressing their anger and frustration through chants, responding to the head coach’s earlier criticism of “silent” supporters after the friendly against Wales at Wembley.
However, the bigger picture reveals that England qualified with two games to spare, marking a flawless first campaign for Tuchel, who succeeded Sir Gareth Southgate in January.
With this win, England has secured its spot in the 2026 World Cup, joining other qualified teams in the countdown to the tournament.
