England reached their eighth successive World Cup at a canter as Thomas Tuchel’s enhancing aspect thrashed Latvia 5-0 in Riga to change into the primary European crew to qualify, with two video games to spare.
The Three Lions made gentle work of their Baltic opponents of their first-ever assembly and for the third sport in a row have been 3-0 up at half-time with one eye on subsequent summer season’s finals within the USA, Canada and Mexico.
The irrepressible Harry Kane performed a big half of their half-time dominance because of a quick-fire double, first curling dwelling from the sting of the field earlier than including a penalty he received himself with assist from a VAR evaluation for his 76th worldwide aim.
Once more, England loved near-total dominance and located not one of the identical issue in a few of Tuchel’s earlier video games to interrupt down defensive opponents, and even had the ball within the web inside the primary minute via Kane earlier than an offside flag in opposition to Bukayo Saka minimize brief their celebrations.
England remained affected person the place they could have as soon as misplaced focus and took benefit of a uncommon Latvia assault to spring their opener on the counter, with John Stones’ ball into the channel inviting Anthony Gordon to make use of his tempo to chop inside and bend in a superb strike for his second worldwide aim.
As Latvia spent a lot of the remainder of the half proving more and more cussed the travelling assist as a substitute started to playfully goad Tuchel after his criticism of England’s dwelling assist in opposition to Wales with chants together with “Tuchel, give us a song!” and “1-0 to the library”.
“I got some stick in the first half, fair enough and well done,” Tuchel later instructed ITV. “It was a good sense of humour. It was brilliant support from start to finish.”
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Thomas Tuchel has his say on the followers’ chants directed at him throughout England’s World Cup qualifier win in opposition to Latvia
The eye of these supporters turned again to the pitch moments earlier than the interval when Kane, who had already missed two earlier presentable probabilities, buried the toughest of the three on his left foot with a textbook positioned end from 20 yards.
That was solely a part of a collapse labelled “madness” by Sky Sports activities’ Roy Keane at half-time, aimed largely at a senseless shirt pull on Kane within the Latvia field seconds earlier than the break which was all the time more likely to be picked up by VAR. The skipper duly netted his twenty fourth England penalty from 28 makes an attempt to place England out of sight.
With preserving focus England’s hardest opponent after the break Ezri Konsa was caught flat-footed by Vladislavs Gutkovskis however recovered beautifully to disclaim the hosts’ prime goalscorer with a powerful sliding problem as he formed to shoot.
It was quickly again to enterprise as traditional as an inviting Djed Spence cross was flapped at by Krisjanis Zviedris and unwittingly was his personal web by Maksims Tonisevs, earlier than substitute Eberechi Eze gave Tuchel a reminder of his high quality with a late fifth from Jarrod Bowen’s ball.
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Rob Dorsett provides his ideas on which gamers have impressed Thomas Tuchel as England sealed their spot at subsequent 12 months’s World Cup
Evaluation: England make all the proper noises – however nonetheless early days
Sky Sports activities’ Ron Walker:
“This has been the best of England’s four camps under Thomas Tuchel. After a shaky start, unconvincing performances against international minnows and an embarrassing home defeat to Senegal in June, albeit a post-season friendly, things finally clicked against Serbia at the end of the last international break and the Three Lions have not looked back.
“Tuchel got here in for some early stick however even a 12 months earlier than England’s run to the World Cup semi-finals in Gareth Southgate’s debut event, the Three Lions have been nonetheless removed from the completed article so the identical persistence needs to be afforded to his successor.
“Where England became frustrated and dropped their intensity against Andorra in Tuchel’s first qualifier now they keep up their high press right until the build-up to Eberechi Eze’s goal inside the final five minutes on Tuesday night, much to the delight of his manager.
“England have performed just one aspect ranked inside FIFA’s prime 40 below this supervisor and that take a look at should come earlier than subsequent summer season’s event however when it does, the Three Lions can now draw upon the underlying cohesion and organisation befitting of the ‘membership mentality’ Tuchel has wished to create.”
Delighted Tuchel: We’re dominant, we’re aggressive
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Thomas Tuchel says England’s win in opposition to Latvia in World Cup qualifier is a really particular second
England head coach Thomas Tuchel on ITV:
“We’re dominant in games, we’re hungry. We invest against the ball, we get a lot of ball wins in the opposing half.
“For our final aim, Harry Kane goes all the way in which again into his personal half after a mistake from his team-mate, and helps to make the aim for Ebs. We’re completely happy, we’re on our means.
“It’s a club feel because we play very aggressive with a high press, it’s very physical so it’s very demanding but everyone has to buy into the idea because otherwise you cannot press high. It’s a very good group and a pleasure to coach them.”
Double goalscorer Kane: I am in type of my life
Kane has scored seven in seven for England below Thomas Tuchel
England captain Harry Kane on ITV when requested if he is in his finest ever kind:
“I’d say so, the numbers are there but the way I’m feeling on the pitch, the way I’m seeing passes, the runs, physically I’m in a good place.
“I am in a great second and lengthy could it proceed.”
The draw for the 2026 World Cup will happen in Washington on December 5.
President Trump will be part of FIFA President Gianni Infantino on the John F Kennedy Middle – a performing arts venue the place Trump is chairman – to resolve the group stage fixtures.
Asserting the draw venue on the White Home in August, Trump mentioned the World Cup was “the biggest event in sports”, whereas Infantino declared the 104 matches could be like “104 Super Bowls”.
The draw will happen from 12pm native time (5pm UK time).
The 2026 FIFA males’s World Cup takes place from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
It is going to be the twenty third version of the event.
