England head coach Thomas Tuchel spoke with clear satisfaction after guiding the Three Lions to eight wins from eight in the FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifiers, a reflection he shared in an interview posted via the England national team’s media.
England closed out 2025 in style with a 2–0 victory over Albania on Sunday evening, a result powered by a second-half brace from captain Harry Kane. The win maintains England’s flawless qualifying campaign and sends Tuchel’s squad into December’s World Cup draw with maximum confidence as they await their group-stage opponents for next summer’s tournament in North America.
Softfootball had earlier written about the selection headache and tactical questions Tuchel would face as England push to win their first World Cup since 1966, and Sunday’s victory showed once again the depth and adaptability of this squad.
In a press statement shared via England’s official X handle Tuchel praised the performance and the team’s composure under pressure, saying:
It was a nice match, I love it.
Serbia was difficult, today was difficult, it got emotional.
We were fully in control and then suddenly lost a bit of control but to overcome some difficult moments and to overcome an atmosphere like this and open the match with a set-piece goal – so much good stuff. The quality to finish the game out, brilliant.
Tuchel then went on to explain how England patiently waited for their moment to break Albania down, highlighting the team’s persistence and the impact of his attacking substitutions.
I could feel that we were invested. I could also feel that it was difficult to break them down, that it needed one little moment – a set-piece or a magical moment to open the match and gain a little in confidence and get in their heads.
We had to wait but we were non-stop. We gave the signal from the bench with offensive changes that we were here to win and we keep on pushing.
Thi game also brought two key milestones as Jarell Quansah made his England debut while Adam Wharton earned his first senior start. With alot of changes from the previous win over Serbia, Tuchel insisted that the performance of the younger players justified his trust, he stated;
It is a very strong squad. Everyone who starts deserves [to], but to influence games from the bench is a privilege and the guys are fantastic.
[Adam Wharton] Good, it was not easy because we tried [something] a little bit different in the build-up with John Stones. In the second half, we reversed a little bit so he was alone and sometimes a little bit exposed – it’s not his fault and overall, he did well.
With England now entering the World Cup year with momentum, belief, and impressive squad depth, Tuchel’s men look increasingly ready for the challenge ahead as the dream of finally bringing football home grows stronger than ever before.
