{"id":168077,"date":"2025-10-14T22:47:07","date_gmt":"2025-10-14T22:47:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/how-england-qualified-for-the-2026-world-cup-with-thumping-five-goal-win-in-latvia-the-new-york-times\/"},"modified":"2025-10-14T22:47:07","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T22:47:07","slug":"how-england-qualified-for-the-2026-world-cup-with-thumping-five-goal-win-in-latvia-the-new-york-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/how-england-qualified-for-the-2026-world-cup-with-thumping-five-goal-win-in-latvia-the-new-york-times\/","title":{"rendered":"How England qualified for the 2026 World Cup with thumping five-goal win in Latvia – The New York Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

World Cup
International
Break
live
Updated 2m ago<\/span>
England<\/a>\u2019s 5-0 win against Latvia has secured qualification for next summer's 2026 World Cup.<\/strong>
Anthony Gordon<\/a> curled in before Harry Kane<\/a> fired home from outside the box and converted a penalty.
After the break, a Maksims Tonisevs own goal and an Eberechi Eze<\/a> strike made it a five-star showing in Riga.
The win ensures England have qualified<\/a> for next summer\u2019s tournament with two matches to spare.
GO FURTHER
Latvia 0 England 5: Tuchel\u2019s team qualify for World Cup as Anthony Gordon stakes his claim
Just 240 days to go until the start of the World Cup in North America.
And now England know for definite \u2014 they will be there and they will be battling for the chance to win that second World Cup title.
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2026 World Cup qualification around the globe is nearing completion as teams battle to reach the world\u2019s biggest sporting event.
Which countries have already secured their spot in North America next summer? How many places are awarded to each continental confederation? How far into the qualification process are those six regions?
England and Saudi Arabia are the latest sides to qualify. Read more below.<\/em>
GO FURTHER
Which countries have qualified for the 2026 World Cup?
Alexander Isak\u2019s Sweden are looking dangerously close to not qualifying for the tournament.
After Monday\u2019s loss against Kosovo, they are nine points off group leaders Switzerland and six points off second place with two games to play. They could still qualify through the UEFA play-off competition.
Nigeria missed out on automatic qualification but secured a spot in the CAF play-offs after a 4-0 win over Benin on Tuesday, with Victor Osimhen scoring a hat-trick.
As one of the confederation\u2019s four best second-placed teams, they will contest a mini-tournament consisting of two semi-finals and a final, with the winner advancing to FIFA\u2019s inter-confederation play-offs.
From June 11 to June 19.
The first match will be in Mexico with the co-hosts in action.
After just over two weeks of group-stage games, the knockout stage will start on June 28, before the World Cup final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
England still have two World Cup qualifiers to play. They will take on Serbia at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday, November 13 before travelling to play Albania in their capital city of Tirana on Sunday, November 16.
While the World Cup qualification play-offs are taking place in the March international break, England are likely to organise friendlies to give the squad extra preparation.
This happened last year before the European Championship, as England drew 2-2 with Belgium and lost to Brazil 1-0 at Wembley.
The team also played two friendlies in June before the tournament officially kicked off, against Iceland and Bosnia & Herzegovina, which is another option they may take next summer.
It will take place on December 5 in the U.S. capital, Washington DC.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino joined President Donald Trump at the White House to announce in August that the event will take place at the Kennedy Center, the performing arts venue where Trump has elected himself board chairman.
Forty-two of the 48 qualifying teams will be known by that point, with the final six places being decided in the March playoffs. The draw is due to start at midday local time, 5pm UK time.
Of course, it will be covered live right here on The Athletic<\/strong><\/em>.
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England are fourth in the latest edition of FIFA\u2019s world rankings, meaning that they could be placed into pool one for the draw, giving them a higher likelihood of missing high-ranked teams such as Argentina and France in the group stage.
The next update of the rankings will come on October 23, with the final one before the draw coming in November.
The expanded format means that instead of eight groups of four, there will be twelve groups of the same size and one extra knockout round.
This means that the pools in the draw will be bigger but teams hoping to win the tournament will have to play one more game on their way to the final.
With today's 5-0 win, England confirmed their place at next summer\u2019s men\u2019s World Cup, football\u2019s biggest event, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
It marks their eighth consecutive major tournament qualification, having last failed to do so at the 2008 European Championship.
England missed the previous World Cup in the U.S. in 1994 \u2014 the last time they failed to qualify for the tournament.
Below, The Athletic <\/strong><\/em>breaks down what we know about what\u2019s to come and what\u2019s next for England.
GO FURTHER
England qualify for the 2026 World Cup: Who could they play and when is the draw?
When asked if he minds fans chanting jokily about the noise they are making while speaking to the media after the match, Thomas Tuchel said:
💬 \u201cNo, no, no. They had a reason today from my last comments and I guess that\u2019s fair enough. I got a bit of stick and I found it quite creative. <\/strong><\/em>
\u201cIt made me smile and this is how it has to be. It\u2019s British humour and I surely can take it. No harm done. It\u2019s so important. They are here and I said the support in Serbia was brilliant. <\/strong><\/em>
\u201cThe support today was brilliant and we are very sure the support in America will be absolutely brilliant. We need it. 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. <\/strong><\/em>
\u201cThis is also part of what we do. We want to make them proud, we want to make them happy. They should be happy to watch us and they should be able to identify with how we play. <\/strong><\/em>
\u201cWe are on our way to build something and top performance from them today.\u201d<\/strong><\/em>
There is still plenty of football to be played but now England can start to transition into a new phase under Tuchel.
He will have chance to test players that he feels can contribute to the group ethos, as well as finding his most effective starting team and formation.
It could get more ruthless before the nation rallies behind the national team next summer \u2014 but things are in a positive place.
There were times when England made much harder work of qualification campaigns than this \u2014 and struggled against lower-ranked opposition like Latvia.
But they have beaten the teams drawn against them in qualifying with ease.
How useful that is in preparation for the level of opponent they will need to beat to win the World Cup remains to be seen.
For now, though, it is worth celebrating this milestone and remembering the last time the World Cup headed to North America, England failed to qualify.
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The rain was pouring down in Riga at the end of the match but it won\u2019t dampen the mood of the England fans who have plenty to celebrate now that they know their team will be at the World Cup.
How many of them are booking their flights as we speak?
Djed Spence international rabona klaxon.
Step by step is all that Thomas Tuchel has asked in terms of developing this England team into one he believes can win the World Cup next summer.
And slowly but surely, it looks like they are getting there even if this qualification campaign lacked any major challenges.
\u201cIt\u2019s a club feel because we play aggressively, with a high press, it\u2019s a physical game that we play. <\/em><\/strong>
\u201cIt gets everyone going, it is demanding but the guys train at a high level. <\/em><\/strong>
\u201cIt\u2019s a pleasure to coach them, it\u2019s step by step but we are getting there.\u201d<\/em><\/strong>
Thomas Tuchel knows the demands of being England manager \u2014 and it seems like he has a pretty good handle on the English sense of humour, too,
After some chanting from the away end in the first half asking the German if they were being loud enough to satisfy him, it was met with a laugh and a thumbs up.
Here\u2019s what Tuchel said to ITV:
\u201cGot some stick in the first half, fair enough and well done. Good sense of humour and no problem. It was brilliant support from start to finish.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

For all the talk that Thomas Tuchel\u2019s comments about the atmosphere at Wembley generated last week, there can be little criticism for the noise coming from the away end tonight.
The travelling fans were in fine voice and had fun bit of back and forth, acknowledged by Tuchel in that ITV interview.
The players, led by Harry Kane, went over to applaud them at the final whistle.
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And what about England\u2019s other goalscorers, I hear you ask?
Well, Anthony Gordon found time to chat to ITV after his starring role in tonight\u2019s win:
💬 \u201cIt\u2019s been top from start to finish. The manager said it in the changing room, we haven\u2019t conceded a goal. Just the vibe and the atmosphere, we have given everything for each other.<\/em><\/strong>
\u201dIt can be difficult in an international environment because the lads come from everywhere and we don't see each other all the time.\u201d<\/em><\/strong>
And what about the thoughts of Harry Kane's team-mates about their captain?
Much the same goodwill of manager Thomas Tuchel, as Anthony Gordon<\/strong> told ITV:
\u201cCertainly not (anyone better), not right now. <\/strong><\/em>
\u201cThe goals he can score, he scores from anywhere. <\/strong><\/em>
\u201cToday with his left foot it doesn't even look like a shot and he scores it.\u201d<\/strong><\/em>
Well, the praise is flowing for England captain Harry Kane after another clinical display \u2014 and his manager Thomas Tuchel certainly has some nice words for him.
\u201cHe is on top of the list,\u201d<\/strong><\/em> Tuchel said when asked if Kane is the best striker he has worked with.
\u201cHe is in top shape mentally and physically and full of confidence.<\/strong><\/em>
\u201cIt\u2019s a pleasure.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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