England secured their place at the 2026 World Cup in style by beating Latvia 5-0 in Riga. Needing three points to take an unassailable lead at the top of Group K, Thomas Tuchel’s troops made no mistake. As expected, they completely outclassed their lower-ranked rivals to end the match as a contest before half-time.
Kane at the Double in First Half
A dominant England restricted Latvia to just one shot in the opening 45 minutes. By the time their hosts registered that solitary effort in the 29th minute, England had taken the lead. John Stones was the architect with an incisive ball down the right. Anthony Gordon did the rest, with the Newcastle man cutting back into the area and whipping a low effort into the bottom right corner.
The Three Lions made it two with only a minute to play in the first half – Harry Kane emphatically drilling a low effort into the bottom right from the edge of the box. There was still time for one more before the break. Having had his shirt pulled as the ball came into the area, Kane stepped up to grab his second from the spot. This brace continued Kane’s electrifying form, taking his tally to 20 goals in 11 games this season for club and country.
With only pride to play for, Latvia put up slightly stronger resistance after the break but could not keep England out. The unfortunate Maksims Tonisevs deflected into his own net just before the hour mark, and substitute Eberechi Eze rounded off the scoring with a fine effort four minutes from time.
England Qualify in a Canter
This win extended England’s record in qualifying to six wins from six games, with 18 goals scored and none conceded. Seven points clear of second-placed Albania with only two games to play, England’s presence at the 2026 Finals in the USA, Canada, and Mexico is assured.
While that for-and-against goals record is impressive, England have only delivered what was expected of them. Currently sitting fourth in the FIFA World Rankings, they started as red-hot favourites to top a section containing Serbia (34th), Albania (66th), Latvia (137th), and Andorra (174th).
Tougher Challenges Lie Ahead
Having achieved the immediate objective with the minimum of fuss, Tuchel can now focus on the tougher challenge of ending 60 years of hurt. November’s final Group K fixtures provide an ideal opportunity to assess fringe players, as he edges closer to finalising his World Cup squad.
News of who will provide the opposition for the pre-tournament friendlies in March is awaited. However, it would seem sensible to seek a higher standard of opponent than those faced in qualifying. England’s latest clash with a world-class outfit ended in defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final. More recently, a 3-1 home loss to a useful Senegal side in June exposed weaknesses in the back line.
While encouraging, a sequence of wins against outmatched, defensively minded sides does not provide the best preparation for the more talented nations England will face in North America.
Squad Questions Remain
Thomas Tuchel no doubt has a good idea of who will be on the plane next year, but questions remain regarding his best starting line-up. Perhaps the biggest conundrum is how to reintegrate Jude Bellingham into the side. The Real Madrid man has been out of the picture since Tuchel labelled elements of his on-pitch behaviour “repulsive” in June. Whilst much was made of that incident at the time, it appears Tuchel understandably slipped up when conducting an interview in his second language.
Bellingham’s absence from the most recent squad is likely related to the fact that he has only recently returned from injury. However, England haven’t noticeably missed him, particularly in the free-flowing attacking displays in Serbia and Latvia. In his absence, Declan Rice and Elliott Anderson have formed a rock-solid foundation in midfield, and Morgan Rogers has shown flashes of brilliance in the number 10 role. Meanwhile, Phil Foden, Eberechi Eze, and Jack Grealish can all play off Kane, with Gordon and Rashford staking claims on the left. Barring Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka, no player – including Bellingham – looks like a certain starter.
Such a wealth of midfield and attacking options will be the envy of many sides at the tournament. However, Tuchel suggested he will not sacrifice team chemistry for star names, when stating, “We don’t collect the most talented players, we build a team.”
When Is the World Cup Draw?
The draw for the 2026 World Cup will take place at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington on Friday, 5th December. There, England will get a good idea of their route to the knockout stages. 40 of the 48 sides will be known before the draw, with the remaining eight decided at the European and inter-confederation play-offs in March.