England qualify for 2026 FIFA World Cup: Here's how
What's the story
England have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a resounding 5-0 victory over Latvia in Riga. The win marks the Three Lions's eighth consecutive qualification for the tournament, making them the first European team to secure a spot with two games still to play. Harry Kane was instrumental in this achievement, scoring twice and helping his team dominate their Baltic rivals.
Game highlights
Three goals in the 1st half
In their first-ever encounter with Latvia, England took a 3-0 lead by halftime. Anthony Gordon opened the scoring with a stunning effort from outside the box before Kane converted a penalty he had earned after a VAR check. Kane also got on the scoresheet, scoring his second goal after being set up by John Stones.
Post-match remarks
We are hungry, says Tuchel
After the match, Tuchel praised his team's dominance and aggression. He said, "We're dominant in games, we're hungry. We invest against the ball, we get a lot of ball wins in the opposing half." Kane also spoke highly of his current form, saying he feels physically good and is seeing passes well on the pitch.
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What happened in the 2nd half?
In the 2nd half, England added a fourth goal just before the hour when Latvia's Andrejs Ciganiks bundled Djed Spence's cross into his own net. Arsenal's Eberechi Eze, who came on as a substitute, helped hid side with a low finish to make it 5-0 after 86 minutes.
Details
Match stats and points table
Latvia had one shot on target from 6 attempts. England managed 7 shots on target from 24 attempts. The Three Lions had 72% ball possession and a 91% pass accuracy. England earned nine corners compared to Latvia's two. England have won six matches from six outings in the FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign. They have two games left. Tuchel's men have scored 18 goals without conceding any.
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76 goals for Kane in England colors
In 110 matches for England across competitions, Kane has raced to 76 goals. The 2025 calendar year has seen Kane score 7 goals from 7 matches. Kane has been in top form this season for club and country. He has 18 goals for Bayern Munich.