England became the first European nation to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a dominant 5-0 victory over Latvia in Riga on Tuesday night. The win extended Thomas Tuchel’s perfect record in charge, making it six wins from six in Group K and guaranteeing top spot with two games to spare.
Harry Kane led the charge once again, scoring twice to take his tally to 21 goals in 13 appearances for club and country this season. Anthony Gordon opened the scoring early on, while a Latvian own goal and a strike from Eberechi Eze completed the rout. The result means England will head confidently into December’s draw for the World Cup finals.
“It comes rarely that you qualify for a World Cup, so the mood is very, very good,” said Tuchel after the match, praising his squad’s consistency and focus throughout the campaign.
Elsewhere in Europe, Cristiano Ronaldo continued rewriting history books as Portugal were held 2-2 by Hungary in Lisbon. The 40-year-old forward scored twice, reaching 143 international goals and becoming the all-time top scorer in World Cup qualifying with 41 goals. However, a late equalizer from Hungary’s Dominik Szoboszlai delayed Portugal’s qualification.
The night also saw Italy beat Israel 3-0 in Udine amid pro-Palestinian demonstrations outside the stadium, ending Israel’s hopes of reaching the 2026 finals. Spain strengthened their position in Group E with a 4-0 win over Bulgaria, led by Mikel Merino’s brace.
England now join already-qualified hosts Canada, Mexico, and the United States, along with South Africa and Qatar, as confirmed participants for next year’s global showpiece.
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