England are back in World Cup qualification action this month with an upcoming away trip to Latvia.
The Three Lions face Wales in a friendly before that game in this October international break, but you’d forgive Thomas Tuchel if his eyes were more concentrated on rubberstamping our ticket to next summer’s cross-Atlantic tournament.
But what do England have left to do to secure qualification? Let’s break it down…
When England can first qualify for the 2026 World Cup
Tuchel’s charges have put themselves in an incredible position to seal entry to next summer’s tournament, with little left to do until it’s official.
His side currently top Group K with 15 points, the closest chasers being Albania and Serbia on eight and seven points respectively, with Latvia and Andorra further down the pecking order.
That means that England need just two more wins to confirm their World Cup ticket, but qualification could come even sooner than that.
Serbia face two qualifiers in October, against Albania and Andorra, and should they drop points in either of those two games, England’s passage to next summer’s tournament will be sealed.
The Three Lions hold an incredible record to this point, with five consecutive wins from five games, 13 goals scored, and zero conceded.
It leaves qualification feeling something of a formality to the casual observer, but those connected to the camp will not take their place for granted until it’s official.
After the Latvia game, England face Serbia and Albania in November’s international break to round off the qualification campaign.
The true Group K battle, it seems, will be between those two opponents next month, who are currently within a point of each other and will want to clinch second place, which will take them through to a play-off to keep their World Cup dreams alive.
The other three sides in the group will be eliminated and will not travel to the summer tournament.
US President Donald Trump announced in August that the World Cup draw will be done in Washington this December, with 48 teams going into the hat, up from 32 in the 2022 edition.
