England made light work of what was supposed to be one of their toughest away test of the quailifers, brushing aside Serbia 5-0 in Belgrade to move within touching distance of the 2026 World Cup finals. It was a night where Thomas Tuchel’s men showed patience, quality, and then ruthless finishing once the floodgate opened, Softfootball reports.
The opening spell wasn’t easy. Serbia came out strong, and England despite keeping the ball well looked a little flat in attack, similar to what they faced in their 2-0 win over Andorra at Villa park. Harry Kane nearly broke the deadlock with a close-range effort that narrowly went past the post, and you could feel the nerves starting to creep in for the Serbians.
But when Declan Rice whipped in a a delightful corner and Kane powered his header home, the game turned on its head. From that moment, England looked like a different team.
Confidence surged through the Three Lions, and it wasn’t long before Noni Madueke doubled their lead. A flowing move cut Serbia open, and the young Arsenal forward kept his cool to dink the ball over Đorđe Petrović for his first England goal one he’ll never forget. The Serbs, rattled and struggling to cope, had no answer as Tuchel’s side began to click into gear.
The second half was more of the same. Ezri Konsa bundled home from close range after a bit of pinball in the box, before Serbia’s night collapsed completely when Nikola Milenković saw red for hauling down Kane. England made them pay instantly, with Marc Guéhi ghosting in at the back post to prod home, and Marcus Rashford rounded things off from the penalty spot late on.
Meanwhile, England via its official X handle, posted an exclusive video of Madueke scoring his first ever international goal for the Three Lions, a moment of joy for the young Arsenal forward. Watch below;
For Tuchel, it was as good an away performance as he could have asked for ,solid at the back, sharp in attack, and with new faces stepping up. England now look certain to book their spot in North America, while Serbia are left staring at a tense fight with Albania to keep their hopes alive.
