England cruise past Latvia to seal World Cup qualification | OneFootball

England confirmed their qualification for next summer’s World Cup in emphatic fashion, dismantling Latvia 5-0 in Riga.

Victory was a formality from the moment Anthony Gordon curled home the opener after 26 minutes. Harry Kane added a brace before the interval, and Latvia’s misery deepened after the break when Andrejs Ciganiks turned Djed Spence’s cross into his own net. Substitute Eberechi Eze capped the rout with a superb solo effort late on to make it 5.

The result sealed England’s place at the 2026 World Cup with two games to spare, continuing a flawless qualifying campaign of six wins from six without conceding a goal. Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford’s record now stands at nine consecutive international clean sheets.

Yet, amid the jubilation, Tuchel endured jeers from sections of England’s travelling support, still irked by his recent criticism of “silent fans” at Wembley. It was an awkward subplot on a night otherwise defined by dominance and precision.

England’s transformation under Tuchel has been both clinical and convincing. With 13 unanswered goals across their last three fixtures, England are seemingly starting to click and gain momentum before the summer World Cup.

GFN | Finn Entwistle