Harry Kane came away with a brace as England edged out an uninspiring 2-0 win over Albania in Tirana. The Three Lions were heavily rotated for this, their final World Cup qualifier and their last match of 2025, but few of Thomas Tuchel’s fringe players made grand impressions. England struggled for long stretches to break down the stubborn Albanian block, and it was the hosts who had the better chances in the goalless first half.
The pattern persisted into the second period, until Kane arrived in the six-yard box to poke home after Albania failed to clear their lines from a corner. His second came just minutes later as Marcus Rashford played in a delectable cross for the Bayern Munich striker to nod home. England complete their World Cup qualifying campaign with a totally unblemished record - all wins and no goals conceded.
England ended their 2025 on a high, then, and Tuchel has plenty of food for thought as he waits for England’s next match, which is pencilled in for March. Catch up with the action as it happened below with our dedicated match blog, featuring expert insight and analysis from Dom Smith and Simon Collings.
Albania vs England latest news
- GOAL! Kane bags a second
- GOAL! Kane opens the scoring
- England XI
- Albania XI
Tuchel hails 'satisfying' win
20:25 , Arthur FerridgeThomas Tuchel admitted England’s 2-0 win in Albania was as satisfying as any of their victories during his reign so far.
The Three Lions completed the full set of eight wins from World Cup qualifying Group K as Harry Kane’s two late goals ensured they came out on top in what proved a tricky test in Albania.
England last month became the first European nation to qualify for next summer’s World Cup and kept their levels high this month with 2-0 wins against Serbia and Albania.
Asked whether the Albania win was as satisfying as any so far, the head coach said: “Yes, yes. A nice match. I love it. Serbia was difficult, today was difficult. It got emotional. We were fully in control, then suddenly we lost a little bit of control.”
Harry Kane makes England World Cup prediction after unbeaten qualifying campaign
20:15 , Arthur FerridgeHarry Kane says England will head to next year’s World Cup as one of the favourites after their perfect qualifying campaign.
England made it eight wins from eight qualifying games by beating Albania 2-0 on Sunday night.
Three Lions captain Harry Kane scored both goals, with England also maintaining their record of not conceding during this qualifying campaign.
And asked how he rates the quality of this England squad compared to others he has been part of, Kane said: “I think it is as good as we have ever had.
“When you look at the starting XI, when you look at the players coming off the bench, we are going to go into the tournament as one of the favourites.”
Three things we learned from England win
20:05 , Arthur FerridgeMore on Thomas Tuchel’s tactical tricks...
It was, ultimately, another good win for England, but Tuchel’s attempt to play John Stones as an inverted midfielder did not quite come off.
Simon Collings analysed the game for Standard Sport. See what he had to say here!
England player ratings vs Albania
19:55 , Arthur FerridgeThomas Tuchel made some interesting tweaks to his squad for this match, and not all of them came off.
Harry Kane scored highly, but Eberechi Eze was not so strong.
Match report: Albania 0-2 England
19:44 , Arthur FerridgeEngland completed a perfect World Cup qualification campaign in Albania as Harry Kane's late brace secured Thomas Tuchel's side an eighth victory without conceding.
Having sealed their place in North America with two matches to spare, the back-to-back European Championship runners-up ended their first year under the German coach as it began.
Tuchel oversaw a 2-0 triumph against Albania in his first match as England boss and 240 days later saw his much-changed side survive a couple of scares on their way to victory by the same scoreline in Tirana.
They completed Group K with eight wins and eight clean sheets, becoming the first European side to play at least six World Cup qualifiers and win them all without conceding.
FULL TIME: Albania 0-2 England
18:53 , Arthur FerridgeThere’s the whistle!
Albania 0-2 England
18:53 , Arthur Ferridge90+6mins: We have now played the five added minutes, but after Broja’s injury, we probably have a little longer left to go.
Albania 0-2 England
18:51 , Arthur Ferridge90+5mins: Rashford has a pop from range and, as with Kane before him, misses just wide of the right post.
Albania 0-2 England
18:51 , Arthur Ferridge90+4mins: Kane goes close! That could have been a hat-trick, but he misses narrowly wide.
Albania 0-2 England
18:49 , Arthur Ferridge90+1mins: Armando Broja is stretchered off. Terribly sad to see.
Albania 0-2 England
18:48 , Arthur Ferridge90mins: As Broja remains down with what appears to be a serious injury, the fourth official announces five added minutes.
Albania 0-2 England
18:46 , Arthur Ferridge89mins: Oh no, nobody wants to see this. Armando Broja, formerly of Chelsea and presently of Burnley, is down with a new injury and is absolutely distraught. He’s had horrendous luck with injuries throughout his career. Let’s hope that isn’t a serious one.
Albania 0-2 England
18:45 , Arthur Ferridge88mins: Fair to say Albania’s confidence has been knocked here.
Simon Collings reports
18:41 , Arthur FerridgeKane's first goal was a bundled finish, but that's a brilliant header. Game over.
GOAL! Albania 0-2 England | Kane '82
18:39 , Arthur FerridgeA superb cross from Marcus Rashford is nodded home by Harry Kane. Game, set, match.
Albania 0-1 England
18:38 , Arthur Ferridge81mins: Djimsiti heads over from a pinpoint cross. Another let-off for England.
Albania 0-1 England
18:37 , Arthur Ferridge80mins: Broja gets the better of Bellingham, and the Real Madrid man gets his own back by chopping him down from behind.
Albania 0-1 England
18:34 , Arthur Ferridge77mins: Saka gets beyond Strakosha and squares for Foden, but the Man City man can’t quite get a shot away.
Albania 0-1 England
18:33 , Arthur FerridgeArmando Broja came on following that goal.
Changes for England, too, as Anderson and Rashford replace Wharton and Bowen.
Dom Smith reports
18:33 , Arthur FerridgeA breakthrough at long, long last for England, and it comes from a set piece. A typical striker's goal.
GOAL! Albania 0-1 England | Kane '74
18:31 , Arthur FerridgeEngalnd have the breakthrough! Saka’s corner is England’s fifth of the night, and Kane nods it home after a flick-on from the first man. Strakosha is down injured in the aftermath.
Dom Smith reports
18:27 , Arthur FerridgeThe referee has been rather trigger-happy tonight, and his constant whistling has further stilted the rhythm of an already slow match.
Albania 0-0 England
18:26 , Arthur Ferridge69mins: O’Reilly plays a gorgeous flick on into the box and Saka, inexplicably, chooses to square it rather than shoot from the edge of the six-yard box. There is nobody there to finish the chance. Still we await the breakthrough.
Albania 0-0 England
18:25 , Arthur Ferridge68mins: A loose backpass is into no man’s land in front of Henderson’s goal, and the Crystal Palace man is quick off his line to sweep it away. He catches Laci in the process, but the referee waves his appeals away.
Albania 0-0 England
18:24 , Arthur Ferridge67mins: Hoxha spins Bellingham and puts a nice cross into the box, but Bajrami can’t keep his shot down. Quite a poor effort in actual fact. Albania have had an awful lot of chances in this second half...
Albania 0-0 England
18:22 , Arthur Ferridge65mins: Saka gets a shot off with what may have been his first touch of the game, but Strakosha has safe hands and keeps him out.
Albania 0-0 England
18:21 , Arthur Ferridge64mins: So, a week on from saying Kane, Foden and Bellingham couldn’t all play at the same time in his system, Tuchel has that exact trio sharing the pitch.
Albania 0-0 England
18:20 , Arthur Ferridge62mins: Foden and Saka replace Eze and Rice. Bowen swaps flanks to accommodate Saka, while Bellingham drops deeper.
Albania 0-0 England
18:18 , Arthur Ferridge61mins: Several changes in the offing for England. Looks like Foden and Saka will be the first to come in.
A defensive change may soon follow, though, as Stones is down in a heap after landing awkwardly from an aerial 50/50.
Albania 0-0 England
18:17 , Arthur Ferridge61mins: Burn knocks Rice’s cross down for the off-balance Bellingham, who shoots just narrowly over.
Albania 0-0 England
18:16 , Arthur Ferridge60mins: Free kick to England as Quansah catches an elbow in the face off the ball.
Albania 0-0 England
18:15 , Arthur Ferridge58mins: Bellingham collides with Laci and looks to be in some discomfort. He’s quick to get back to his feet, though, so may just have been winded.
Albania 0-0 England
18:14 , Arthur Ferridge57mins: CHANCE! Lovely pass from Bellingham finds Eze in the box and he shoots from a tight angle. It looked to be going wide of the post, but Strakosha gets a hand to it for the avoidance of doubt. Corner to England.
Albania 0-0 England
18:13 , Arthur Ferridge56mins: Several subs warming up for England now, unsurprisingly. They look to have run out of ideas a bit, and could do with a bit of a boost.
Albania 0-0 England
18:12 , Arthur Ferridge55mins: Bit of a better spell for England here, but still chances are hard to come by. The latest attack ends with a Bowen handball.
Simon Collings reports
18:09 , Arthur FerridgeLooks like England have switched to a conventional build-up, with Stones no longer pushing into midfield. O'Reilly and Quansah pushing wide as the full-backs.
Dom Smith reports
18:08 , Arthur FerridgeFine save from Henderson. Albania are not going away and it's a reminder to England that they have quality in attack as well as good shape in defence.
Albania 0-0 England
18:08 , Arthur Ferridge52mins: Another good save from Henderson! Really quick break from Albania but Hoxha flubs his shot.
Albania 0-0 England
18:07 , Arthur Ferridge50mins: The hosts are still just as lively as they were in the first half. Hoxha shoots from range and draws a good save from Henderson. Corner to Albania.
Albania 0-0 England
18:04 , Arthur Ferridge47mins: Bowen finds Rice with a wonderful diagonal pass, but the Arsenal midfielder runs into an immovable object in Ismajili and looks a tad sore afterwards.
2ND HALF: Albania 0-0 England
18:02 , Arthur FerridgeBack underway! Can England find a breakthrough?
HALF-TIME: Albania 0-0 England
17:47 , Arthur FerridgeThere’s the whistle. Time for the managers to make some adjustments. England certainly need it.
Albania 0-0 England
17:46 , Arthur Ferridge45mins: As the fourth official advertises one added minute, you would have to say that Albania have looked marginally more likely to score in the opening stanza of this match.
Simon Collings reports
17:45 , Arthur FerridgeAn indication of how Rice is playing - he's just been pinged twice for offside in the space of a minute.
Albania 0-0 England
17:44 , Arthur Ferridge43mins: Bellingham tees Rice up for a shot, but his effort is not overly threatening. He was offside anyway.
Albania 0-0 England
17:43 , Arthur Ferridge42mins: Another corner for Albania. England under the cosh a little bit here.
Albania 0-0 England
17:42 , Arthur Ferridge42mins: Hoxha, who has been really lively so far, gets on the ball and has England backpedalling as he charges at goal. Stones blocks his shot to hand the hosts a corner, which is also cleared by Stones.
Albania 0-0 England
17:39 , Arthur Ferridge39mins: Wharton is booked for a bit of a clumsy tackle.
Albania 0-0 England
17:38 , Arthur Ferridge37mins: The debutant Quansah rises highest and flicks Wharton’s corner at goal, but Strakosha makes another smart save.
Albania 0-0 England
17:37 , Arthur Ferridge37mins: CHANCE! Another sloppy giveaway by England has Albania on the offensive, but, somehow, they do not get a shot off. The Three Lions counter apace and Bowen draws a great save from Strakosha. That’s the best chance of the game so far, by some distance. Corner to England.
Simon Collings reports
17:35 , Arthur FerridgeThat's twice now Kane has been cynically pulled back. Both times the offender has, somehow, avoided a booking.
Albania 0-0 England
17:35 , Arthur Ferridge35mins: England win a free-kick high on the right flank and Rice swings it in. Dan Burn knocks it down, but Albania escape.
Albania 0-0 England
17:33 , Arthur Ferridge33mins: Stones’ pocket is picked in the box and Albania continue to pressurise the England box. Impressive spell from the hosts.
Albania 0-0 England
17:32 , Arthur Ferridge32mins: Another corner for Albania comes and goes without issue. Kane gets his head to it first.
Albania 0-0 England
17:31 , Arthur Ferridge31mins: Albania have not conceded at this stadium since 2021, apparently. You must say, thus far, England don’t look particularly likely to change that.
Albania 0-0 England
17:30 , Arthur Ferridge30mins: Ramadani puts a smart cross into Uzuni, who can’t quite get his effort goalwards. The flag is up, though, so no matter.
Albania 0-0 England
17:28 , Arthur Ferridge28mins: Kane calls for a yellow as Bellingham is cynically fouled by Ramadani, but no dice. Free kick to England, about 35 or 40 yards from goal.
Dom Smith reports
17:27 , Arthur FerridgeThat box midfield not really working for England yet. Having Stones as an extra man in there is just overcrowding the middle of the pitch and thwarting any ability to move at pace.
Albania 0-0 England
17:26 , Arthur Ferridge26mins: Hysaj is replaced by Balliu, of Rayo Vallecano.
Albania 0-0 England
17:25 , Arthur Ferridge25mins: Man down for Albania as Hysaj goes down off the ball and immediately takes off his shin pads. Seems to be the end of his evening as he slowly gets back up and hobbles off the pitch.
Albania 0-0 England
17:23 , Arthur Ferridge23mins: It just isn’t quite happening for England so far. The final pass is lacking.
Albania 0-0 England
17:22 , Arthur Ferridge22mins: More animosity in the stands as Eze is fouled and the referee cops some considerable boos.
Dom Smith reports
17:19 , Arthur FerridgeJarrod Bowen has had a good start to the game, I feel. Running here, there and everywhere and produced a lovely slide tackle just moments ago back defending in his own half. But England, overall, need to be more careful in possession in their own half. Hysaj's flying effort a reminder of that.
Albania 0-0 England
17:19 , Arthur Ferridge18mins: Hoxha gets free on the edge of the box and lines up a shot, but Bellingham slides in brilliantly to block him. Albania come again through Hysaj, who shoots over. He didn’t miss by much, mind - Henderson was worried about it.
Albania 0-0 England
17:17 , Arthur Ferridge17mins: Rice fires over the bar from the edge of the box.
Albania 0-0 England
17:16 , Arthur Ferridge15mins: Uproar in the stands as Bowen makes a smart tackle, which many of the home support think was a foul, but he is not penalised. Shortly thereafter, Kane is hacked down from behind by Ramadani, who goes into the book.
Simon Collings reports
17:14 , Arthur FerridgeNotable that Adam Wharton is on corners from the left instead of Declan Rice. England clearly favouring out-swingers this evening.
Albania 0-0 England
17:14 , Arthur Ferridge13mins: Adam Wharton hits an outswinger into the box, and it is cleared by the Albanians. Stones is penalised for pulling his marker down, though.
Albania 0-0 England
17:13 , Arthur Ferridge12mins: Rice wins England’s second corner of the afternoon.
Albania 0-0 England
17:11 , Arthur Ferridge11mins: England are struggling a tad with the Albania low block so far. You get the impression there’ll be a big onus on Bellingham to provide the necessary creative spark to find a breakthrough.
Albania 0-0 England
17:09 , Arthur Ferridge9mins: Bellingham and Uzuni come together off the ball and get a little talking to from the referee.
Albania 0-0 England
17:08 , Arthur Ferridge7mins: O’Reilly has started very well here. He races forward and squares to Kane who looks to play Rice in behind, but there’s just a little too much mustard on his pass.
Albania 0-0 England
17:07 , Arthur Ferridge6mins: Bowen, all 5ft 9in of him, is first to the corner and clears his lines.
Albania 0-0 England
17:06 , Arthur Ferridge6mins: Hoxha wins a corner for Albania. The crowd enjoyed that.
Dom Smith reports
17:05 , Arthur FerridgeRice with the first half-chance of the evening for England, who have started with real intensity in this, their final match of the year.
Albania 0-0 England
17:05 , Arthur Ferridge5mins: Liquid football down the left as O’Reilly and Eze combine to set England on the attack. The ball reaches Bowen, who plays a cross to Rice, and the Arsenal man draws a save from Strakosha.
Simon Collings reports
17:04 , Arthur FerridgeEngland building up in a back three when they have the ball, with John Stones pushing into midfield. It should allow Declan Rice to get forward even more.
Albania 0-0 England
17:02 , Arthur Ferridge2mins: The corner comes to nothing as Bellingham looks to put a cross into the box but overhits it. Goal-kick for Albania.
Albania 0-0 England
17:01 , Arthur Ferridge1min: England make a fast start and win a corner after just 30 seconds.
KICK-OFF! Albania 0-0 England
17:01 , Arthur FerridgeWe are underway in Tirana!
The players are out
16:55 , Arthur FerridgeNearly time to go!
Kick-off fast approaching
16:50 , Arthur FerridgeWe will be underway in ten minutes! Here’s a reminder of today’s squads...
Albania XI: Strakosha; Hysaj, Ismajli, Djimsiti, Aliji; Laci, Asllani, Ramadani; Bajrami, Uzuni, Hoxha
England XI: Henderson; Burn, Quansah, Stones, O’Reilly; Rice, Wharton; Eze, Bellingham, Bowen; Kane
Will Tuchel sing the national anthem today?
16:44 , Arthur FerridgeMuch was made of Thomas Tuchel’s appointment as England gaffer, not least because he is German.
Many have asked whether he will sing the national anthem before matches and, to date, he hasn’t. He may do soon, though, if not today.
Asked if he might choose to join in with signing the anthem ahead of England’s games at the World Cup in North America next summer, he said: “I will think about it. Yeah, maybe. Let’s see. Let’s see.”
What do Wharton and Bellingham offer Tuchel?
16:36 , Arthur FerridgeHear it from the man himself. Tuchel says the pair will be key to breaking down a defensive Albania side.
On Wharton, he tells ITV: “Hopefully, we see his qualities on the ball. We expect to dominate the game. He is very mobile in possession. He has everything you need to break down a block.”
And on Bellingham: “He brings a lot of quality. His unique quality is to show up in the No9 position for seemingly easy goals. He can arrive in the six-yard box and be dangerous. We will have a lot of possession and he will be dangerous.”
Speaking more generally, Tuchel explains why he rotated so heavily for this match: “Not sure if that (experimenting) is the main reason. We had a huge physical output that we have to respect in the last match.
“Players first, we had some players really pushing so we are desperate to get some minutes, and we get some fresh legs. It is a good moment for Wharton and Quansah.”
Head to head
16:32 , Arthur FerridgeEngland are yet to taste defeat at the hands of Albania.
Ahead of today’s visit to Tirana, the sides have met seven times.
England have won on all seven occasions, conceding only once. That was 24 years ago, in March of 2001.
Warmups are underway
16:30 , Arthur Ferridge
England arrive in Tirana
16:24 , Arthur FerridgeGood afternoon, lads! 👋
— England (@England) November 16, 2025
Shot on Google Pixel 🤳 pic.twitter.com/bGGcAkt2gL
A worrying statistic?
16:20 , Arthur FerridgeAlbania have not conceded at home thus far in their World Cup qualifying campaign.
Does that change today?
Big chance for Ebere Eze
16:14 , Arthur FerridgeAfter scoring sweetly against Serbia, Ebere Eze starts for England today.
He moved from Crystal Palace to Arsenal this summer, and feels that move has helped him develop.
“For sure, playing at the highest level helps you get better. You think quicker, you play better. So I feel it's definitely helped me. From last season, again, [I’m] growing, coming up more as a complete player.
“I see myself as an attacking player,” he said when asked which position he prefers. “Wherever I am, left, No10, right, striker, No8, I'm going to do my job. I'm going to do what the role is.
“But, of course, I'm a creative player. These are the things I want to do: score and assist, create and try and express myself.”
Last time out: England 2-0 Serbia
16:08 , Arthur FerridgeEngland did not dazzle as Serbia visited Wembley earlier this week, but they got the job done with a reasonably comfortable 2-0 win.
Bukayo Saka opened the scoring with a clever volley before Ebere Eze curled one into the top corner in injury time to ensure the result.
Dom Smith reports
16:05 , Arthur FerridgeIt's a much-changed line-up from Thomas Tuchel, but that shouldn't surprise anyone. Here is as good a chance as he is going to get to test things out before next summer's World Cup, given March's two friendlies are expected to be against sterner opposition, potentially Uruguay and Japan. Adam Wharton gets his first start, as Jarell Quansah makes his debut.
Simon Collings reports
15:52 , Arthur FerridgeAfter Gabriel yesterday, I think there will be a huge relief among Arsenal fans to see Bukayo Saka on the bench for England. That always felt likely after he played 90 minutes on Thursday.
What to make of the England XI
15:49 , Arthur FerridgeThat’s a heavily rotated side from Thomas Tuchel.
As expected, Jude Bellingham comes into the No10 to test his mettle and attempt to lay claim to a starting berth at the World Cup.
Jarrod Bowen, Adam Wharton, and big Dan Burn are among the other fringe players handed a chance to impress.
Jordan Pickford has been key to England’s qualification campaign thus far - the Three Lions are yet to concede. Dean Henderson comes in between the sticks to see if he can keep that record alive.
ALBANIA XI
15:43 , Arthur FerridgeHere’s how the hosts line up.
Albania XI: Strakosha; Hysaj, Ismajli, Djimsiti, Aliji; Laci, Asllani, Ramadani; Bajrami, Uzuni, Hoxha
Subs: Dajsinani, Simoni, Balliu, Cake, Ajeti, Manaj, Asani, Tuci, Pajaziti, Berisha, Daku, Broja
ENGLAND XI
15:38 , Arthur FerridgeThomas Tuchel rotates!
England XI: Henderson; Burn, Quansah, Stones, O’Reilly; Rice, Wharton; Eze, Bellingham, Bowen; Kane
Subs: Pickford, James, Chalobah, Saka, Henderson, Rashford, Spence, Rogers, Foden, Anderson, Trafford, Scott
Predicted England XI vs Albania
15:35 , Arthur FerridgeThomas Tuchel is expected to shuffle the deck for this match, but how far will he stray from the winning formula?
This evening’s clash will be another chance for him to dial in on a preferred XI - it could be one of his last opportunities to experiment.
Expect rotation in defence amid injuries to Guehi and Konsa, and a potential shuffle in midfield.
Here’s Dom Smith’s predicted England XI (4-2-3-1): Pickford; James, Burn, Stones, Spence; Wharton, Rice; Saka, Bellingham, Rashford; Kane
Kane chasing the Ballon d’Or?
15:26 , Arthur FerridgeEngland skipper Harry Kane has set his heart on winning the Ballon d’Or - but he knows he needs to win some silverware first.
“I could score 100 goals this season, but if I don’t win the Champions League or the World Cup, you’re probably not going to win the Ballon d’Or,” he said.
“It’s the same with [Erling] Haaland, it’s the same with any player. You have to be winning those major trophies. We’re in great shape at Bayern Munich so that maybe makes the odds a little bit more in my favour. Same with England.
“Hopefully, if things go my way for club and country then I’m definitely going to be in the conversation for a trophy like the Ballon d’Or.”
Full circle moment for Tuchel?
15:17 , Arthur FerridgeThomas Tuchel’s first - and, if he really is in and out in 18 months, only - year in charge of England ends just as it began against Albania, writes Standard Sport’s Dom Smith.
His team are in Tirana for their final World Cup qualifier and final match of 2025, with designs on another victory against the side who have surprisingly pipped Serbia to second place in Group K to secure a play-off spot. In March, with Tuchel in the Wembley dugout for the very first time, England saw off the Albanians with a 2-0 win.
Results were good but performances a little tepid to begin with for Tuchel - except against Senegal in June which was downright poor on both counts. This autumn, his bid for glory at next summer’s North American World Cup has grown legs, and credibility.
The return leg against the nation ranked 61st in the world is not a match Tuchel and his players can take lightly, given Albania are on a five-game winning streak.
Get the job done to make it a flawless eight wins from eight in qualifying and England would break their record for consecutive competitive wins by claiming their 11th in a row.
Standard Sport prediction
15:07 , Arthur FerridgeThere should be full confidence in the England camp of a comfortable win here, even with the expected changes that Tuchel will make.
The Three Lions have the star power to rack up a big score, and perhaps better the 2-0 scoreline they tallied at Wembley in the reverse fixture.
Even if Kane is rested, expect goals from the visiting side.
England to win, 3-0.
Albania team news
14:57 , Arthur FerridgeBurnley’s Armando Broja started for Albania in last week’s defeat of Andorra, but after being hooked early in that match, it is not yet clear whether he will return to the XI against some of his former Chelsea team-mates.
Torino and Inter Milan midfielder Kristjan Asllani scored the only goal in that match. He is expected to return in the middle of the park today.
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