England’s place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be set in stone should they beat Latvia in Riga on Tuesday night.
The Three Lions have qualified for every World Cup since missing out on USA ’94, and that trend looks set to continue with Thomas Tuchel in charge. After producing one of their best performances in years against Serbia in September, Tuchel’s side put Wales to the sword in Thursday’s friendly thanks to three early goals.
England have won all five qualifiers without conceding a goal, including a 3–0 stroll against their upcoming opponents in the reverse fixture back in March. A stunning Reece James free-kick got the ball rolling that night, as Eberechi Eze scored his first international goal.
Latvia are welcoming England to their country for the very first time, and require a miracle if they’re to keep themselves in playoff contention. FIFA’s 137th-ranked nation have amassed just five points from six qualifiers, and are six points adrift of second-place Albania.
Here’s Sports Illustrated’s guide to the clash.
What Time Does Latvia vs. England Kick-Off?
- Location: Riga, Latvia
- Stadium: Daugavas Stadionā
- Date: Tuesday, Oct. 14
- Kick-off Time: 7:45 p.m. BST / 2:45 p.m. ET / 11:45 p.m. PT
- Referee: Anastasios Sidiropoulos (GRE)
- VAR: Angelos Evangelou (GRE)
Latvia vs. England Head-to-Head Record (All Games)
- Latvia: 0 wins
- England: 1 win
- Draws: 0
- Last meeting: England 3–0 Latvia (March 25, 2025) - World Cup qualifier
Current Form (All Competitions)
How to Watch Latvia vs. England on TV and Live Stream
Latvia Team News
The bulk of Paolo Nicolato’s squad competes in the Latvian top-flight, but 21-year-old striker Dario Šits plays for Atlético Madrid ’B’. Šits was withdrawn at halftime of their 2–2 draw with Andorra last time out, but he may well be the man to ensure the hosts carry an attacking threat on Tuesday.
Šits was one of three changes made at the interval, suggesting Nicolato could shuffle his personnel around for England’s first-ever visit to the Latvian capital.
Roberts Uldrikis and Aberdeen midfielder Kristers Tobers have not been available this month due to injury.
Latvia Predicted Lineup vs. England
Latvia predicted lineup vs. England (5-3-2): Zviedris; Savalnieks, Balodis, Černomordijs, Jurkovskis, Ciganiks; Zelenkovs, Varslavāns, Ikaunieks; Gutkovskis, Šits.
England Team News
Harry Kane’s ankle injury kept him out of action against Wales last week, but England’s all-time record goalscorer is fit and ready to start on Tuesday night.
His return is timely, given that Ollie Watkins has withdrawn from the squad. The Aston Villa man’s fitness setback isn’t thought to be serious, however. Jarell Quansah has also pulled out since the Wales victory. No replacements have been called up.
Tuchel is unlikely to make drastic changes from Thursday’s game, with a similar-looking starting XI set to be named. Marcus Rashford and Eberechi Eze could join Kane and Bukayo Saka in attack.
England Predicted Lineup vs. Latvia
England predicted lineup vs. Latvia (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Konsa, Stones, Guéhi, Spence; Anderson, Rice; Saka, Eze, Rashford; Kane.
Latvia vs. England Score Prediction
Tuchel may have wanted more from the Wembley crowd on Thursday, but his team certainly delivered on the pitch. The Three Lions have undoubtedly found their groove with the German at the helm, and another checkpoint in Tuchel’s reign is set to be reached in Riga.
Latvia have generally kept their games close throughout qualifying, failing to disgrace themselves in the reverse fixture back in March. However, a purring England outfit could condemn them to a heavy defeat here and secure their place at next summer’s tournament.
Prediction: Latvia 0–4 England
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Latvia vs. England—2026 World Cup Qualifier: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.
