England confirmed their place at the 2026 World Cup finals with a commanding 5-0 victory over Latvia in Group K. Thomas Tuchel's side maintained their perfect record in qualifying, with two matches still to play. Harry Kane scored twice to take his England tally to 76, while Anthony Gordon, an own goal and Eberechi Eze completed the scoring.
The opening goal came in the 26th minute when Gordon cut inside and curled a shot into the far corner. Kane doubled the lead with a powerful low drive from the edge of the box, then added a penalty before half-time after a VAR review for a handball by Antonijs Cernomordijs. The fourth goal was an own goal by Latvia substitute Maksims Tonisevs, and Eze scored the fifth after coming off the bench.
England's defence recorded a sixth clean sheet in six qualifiers, extending Jordan Pickford's national record of nine consecutive shutouts. Latvia, ranked 137th in the world, rarely threatened as England dominated possession and chances.
The match was notable for the travelling England fans' reaction to Tuchel, who had criticised the Wembley crowd for being too quiet during a friendly against Wales. Supporters sang 'Thomas Tuchel, we'll sing when we want' and 'Are we loud enough for you?' in response. Tuchel waved to the fans and later said he appreciated the humour.
