Tuchel All Smiles as England Hit Five to Reach World Cup
England sealed their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a commanding 5-0 victory over hosts Latvia in Riga on Tuesday, 14 October, extending their perfect qualifying run under head coach Thomas Tuchel.
Anthony Gordon opened the scoring with a fine curling effort after 26 minutes, before captain Harry Kane struck twice ahead of half-time: the first was a thunderous low drive at the 44-minute mark, and the second, a penalty confirmed by VAR just four minutes later.
An own goal from Latvia defender Maksims Tonisevs in the 58th minute and a late finish from Eberechi Eze completed the rout just minutes before the final whistle.
Travelling fans playfully mocked Tuchel throughout, responding to his previous criticism of the home crowd at Wembley with chants such as “Thomas Tuchel, we’ll sing when we want.”
The 52-year-old German manager laughed it off, saying: “I found it quite creative. It made me smile… It’s British humour and I surely can take it.”
While England’s qualification was expected, Tuchel now faces tougher tests ahead. With Jude Bellingham’s recall looming and fierce competition among the team’s attackers, the football boss must settle on his best starting squad before the finals in North America.
Still, with Kane in relentless form and the defence yet to concede in qualifying, England’s road to the World Cup could hardly have begun more emphatically.
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