England secured their spot in the 2026 World Cup with a commanding 5-0 victory over Latvia. The team, led by Thomas Tuchel, travelled to Riga knowing that a win would guarantee their place in next year's
tournament. The match saw Harry Kane score twice, helping England achieve a 3-0 lead by halftime.
Anthony Gordon opened the scoring in the 26th minute. Kane then extended the lead to 2-0 with a powerful shot from the edge of the box. He added another goal from the penalty spot during first-half stoppage time after Antonijs Cernomordijs committed a foul identified through VAR.
Harry Kane's performance was historic as he scored more than one goal in a match for England for the 13th time, surpassing Nat Lofthouse's record of 12. This achievement highlights his significant contribution to the team's success.
13 - Harry Kane has scored more than one goal in a match for England for the 13th time - a new Three Lions record, surpassing Nat Lofthouse's 12. Baker's. pic.twitter.com/5KUsDr1iWi
- OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 14, 2025
Ezri Konsa made a crucial tackle on Vladislavs Gutkovskis, ensuring Jordan Pickford maintained his ninth consecutive clean sheet. Maksims Tonisevs' own goal in the 58th minute further increased Latvia's woes. Eberechi Eze completed the scoring in the 86th minute with a well-taken finish from the left side.
With this victory, England has qualified for their eighth consecutive World Cup and will top Group K. Tuchel might use upcoming matches against Serbia and Albania to experiment with his squad since qualification is already secured.
This win marks only the second instance since World War One where England has won consecutive away games by at least five goals, replicating their performances against Andorra and San Marino in late 2021.
Under Tuchel's guidance, England has scored 21 goals across eight matches without conceding any competitive goals in six of those games. This impressive form underscores their readiness for next year's tournament.
