England’s men’s football team have officially booked their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup following a commanding 5–0 victory over Latvia in Riga.
The win cements England’s perfect run in Group K, with six victories from six games, 18 goals scored, and none conceded. Anthony Gordon opened the scoring before captain Harry Kane struck twice – once from open play and again from the penalty spot. A Latvian own goal and a late finish from Eberechi Eze sealed the emphatic result.
With two qualifying matches still remaining, England can now look ahead to next summer’s tournament, which will be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
England manager Thomas Tuchel praised the team’s performance and the growing connection with supporters, saying: “It makes such a difference if you go out as a player or as a coach and you see the fans behind the team and singing. We want to make them proud, we want to make them happy. We are on our way to build something and top performance from them today.”
Elsewhere, Wales remain on course for a World Cup play-off spot despite a 4–2 defeat to Belgium in Cardiff. Their Nations League success last year means they are still likely to qualify for the March play-offs, even if they fail to finish second in their group.
However, a play-off route would leave Wales among the lowest-seeded teams, facing a tougher path to qualification.
Scotland kept their World Cup hopes alive with a hard-fought 2–1 win over Belarus at Hampden Park. Goals from Che Adams and Scott McTominay secured victory, although manager Steve Clarke admitted he was “disappointed” with the performance. Scotland remain second in their group and are now just two wins away from automatic qualification or, at the very least, a guaranteed play-off place.
In Belfast, Northern Ireland narrowly lost 1–0 to Germany, with Newcastle United’s Nick Woltemade scoring the decisive first-half goal. Despite the defeat, the team showed promise after their earlier 2–0 win over Slovakia. They will need to win their remaining fixtures against Slovakia and Luxembourg to keep their play-off hopes alive.
England’s qualification marks a strong statement ahead of the 2026 World Cup, with Tuchel’s squad demonstrating both dominance and defensive solidity throughout the campaign.
