Thomas Tuchel may have been expecting to have to wait until November to book England’s spot at the 2026 World Cup, but they can do just that with a victory over Latvia on Tuesday.
It’s been almost 20 years since the last time that England failed to qualify for the a major tournament — the infamous ‘Golden Generation’ fell short of the European Championship in 2008 under Steve McLaren — but they have rarely been troubled since, and this qualifying campaign has been no different.
England have a perfect five wins from five games so far in Group K, with Tuesday’s clash in Riga followed by their final two games — against Serbia and Albania — next month.
Here’s what England have to do to make the World Cup.
How can England qualify?
Simply put: Another win will do. After Albania’s 1-0 win over Serbia, it means England can rubber stamp their place at the World Cup as early as Tuesday against Latvia.
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The odds are firmly in England’s favour, with Latvia ranked world No. 137.
If the Three Lions can only manage a draw, then they will be made to wait until next month against Serbia. In that scenario, they would be five points clear of second-place Albania, meaning only a win would do, unless Albania fail to beat Andorra on the same night.
Who do England still need to play?
England have three matches remaining in Group K.
Nov. 13: England vs. Serbia
Nov. 16: Albania vs. England
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When does the World Cup start?
The World Cup kicks off in less than 250 days’ time in Mexico City. The tournament will be joint-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
When will England know who is in their World Cup group?
The World Cup draw takes place on Dec. 5 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC.
