2026 World Cup qualifiers, England maintain 100% win record: Stats
What's the story
England maintained their perfect record in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Serbia at Wembley Stadium. The goals came from Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze, who both displayed their exceptional skills on a rainy night. Despite the challenging conditions and an uncharacteristically slow start, Thomas Tuchel's side managed to secure another win in Group K.
Tactical shift
Tuchel's impromptu team talk sparks Three Lions into life
England started the match slowly, a stark contrast to their previous three internationals where they were 3-0 up by half-time. However, an impromptu team talk from manager Thomas Tuchel midway through the first half changed things. The players responded positively after Jordan Pickford went down seeking treatment in the 23rd minute. This was England's 10th consecutive clean sheet under Pickford, further cementing his place as one of the best goalkeepers in international football.
Goal scorers
How did the goals come about?
The match saw some good chances for England with Harry Kane heading wide and Morgan Rogers glancing off target after Marcus Rashford and Declan Rice failed to capitalize on a counter. However, it was Saka's volley that broke the deadlock in the first half. Later, Eze sealed the win with a curled strike into the top corner after being assisted by Phil Foden.
Match highlights
Debutant O'Reilly shines as England backline holds firm
England dominated possession throughout the match, with Reece James often pushing forward. Ezri Konsa and John Stones had comfortable outings at the back, while Nico O'Reilly impressed on his debut. He was involved in England's opening goal after his shot led to Saka's volleyed finish. Despite their dominance, England had to fend off some late pressure from Serbia with Dusan Vlahovic coming close to scoring twice in the second half.
Details
Match stats and points table
England had 19 shots with six of them on target. Serbia had one shot on target from 9 attempts. Tuchel's men had 38 touches in the opposition box compared to Serbia's 13. England also owned 70% ball possession. In terms of the points table, England own 7 wins from 7 matches, having scored 20 goals. Notably, they are yet to concede a goal in this World Cup qualifying campaign. England own 21 points in Group K comprising of 5 teams.
Do you know?
Arsenal magic for England
As per Opta, tonight is just the fifth time ever that two Arsenal players have scored in the same match for England (Saka and Eze), and first since November 2021 against San Marino (Saka and Smith Rowe).