Kane shines as England become first European country to qualify for 2026 World Cup

England have become the first European nation to book their ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and they have done it in emphatic fashion.

Thomas Tuchel’s men secured qualification with two games to spare after a commanding 5-0 victory over Latvia in Riga, continuing their perfect run in the qualifiers.

Harry Kane was once again the star of the show, scoring twice to guide England to a dominant win that sealed top spot in their group.

The Bayern Munich striker opened the scoring early and doubled his tally later on as England overwhelmed their opponents from start to finish. Anthony Gordon and Eberechi Eze also found the back of the net, while Latvia’s Maksims Tonisevs added to England’s tally with an own goal.

The result extended England’s flawless qualifying record to six wins from six, with an incredible 18 goals scored and none conceded.

“Qualifying with two games to go is a great achievement — zero goals conceded and playing some great football,” Kane told ITV after the match. “You want competition in every place and position, and we have that. We just need to keep pushing each other.”

Tuchel, who took over as England manager nearly a year ago, will now use the remaining fixtures against Serbia and Albania to fine-tune his squad ahead of next summer’s tournament.

When Thomas Tuchel was unveiled as England head coach last October, he made one clear promise: to deliver qualification before setting his sights on winning the World Cup.

Having achieved the first part with ease, the German tactician can now focus on building a team capable of ending England’s 60-year wait for a second global crown.

“It’s been almost a year since Tuchel came in, and you can see we’re building something,” Kane said. “We’re going in the right direction.”

England’s qualification also marks a symbolic milestone as the Three Lions become the first European side to officially punch their ticket to the 2026 World Cup.

With the draw scheduled for December 5 at the Kennedy Centre in Washington, D.C., Tuchel and his players can now focus on refining details rather than chasing results.