England booked their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in emphatic fashion, brushing aside Latvia 5-0 in Riga to maintain their perfect qualifying record under Thomas Tuchel. The win means the Three Lions have now reached an eighth consecutive World Cup finals and they’ve done so with ruthless efficiency, winning all six of their qualifiers without conceding a single goal.
SoftFootball that understands that Tuchel made two changes to the side that defeated Wales 3-0 five days ago, with captain Harry Kane returning to lead the line and youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly earning a start in midfield. Kane thought he’d given England the lead inside the opening minute only to see his effort ruled out for offside, before narrowly missing again from Anthony Gordon’s teasing cross.
England were in full control from the outset, dictating possession and pressing Latvia into mistakes. Their dominance was eventually rewarded in the 22nd minute when Gordon latched onto John Stones’ long ball, cut inside onto his right foot, and lashed an unstoppable strike past Krišjānis Zviedris. The Newcastle winger was at the heart of everything positive for Tuchel’s side, showcasing pace, precision, and purpose on the left flank.
Kane doubled the lead with a thunderous long-range effort before confidently dispatching a penalty on the stroke of halftime to make it 3-0 — his 67th and 68th international goals. The result was never in doubt from that point.
Latvia briefly threatened a response early in the second half when Vladislavs Gutkovskis raced through on goal, but Ezri Konsa’s perfectly timed sliding challenge preserved England’s clean sheet. Moments later, Djed Spence’s dangerous cross forced Andrejs Cigaņiks into turning the ball into his own net to make it 4-0.
With time running down, Arsenal’s £60m summer signing from Crystal Palace Eberechi Eze added further gloss to the scoreline, calmly slotting home England’s fifth after a neat one-two with Saka.
During the game, England football posted the highlight of Eberechi Eze’s goal via the teams official X handle, watch goal below;
England’s performance capped off a near-perfect qualifying campaign six wins, 17 goals scored, and none conceded. Tuchel’s tactical tweaks and defensive discipline have made the Three Lions look sharper and more mature than in previous years.
After sealing qualification for eight straight World Cup appearances , the Three Lion’s official X handle posted an exclusive video celebrating the team’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, watch video below;
The only question now is whether Tuchel can take this clinical qualifying form into next summer’s finals in North America and finally end England’s 59-year wait for a major men’s trophy.
