Albania 0-2 England: England were already guaranteed automatic qualification to the 2026 World Cup before they played Albania in the final qualifier.
England completed a perfect World Cup qualification campaign with a convincing win over Albania, thanks to captain Harry Kane. After 70 goalless minutes, Kane was alert when the home defense switched off in a corner and found the back of the net from close range to score his and England’s second goal late on.
Manager Thomas Tuchel made seven changes to his squad for the match, with Albania’s opponents guaranteed a place in the play-offs regardless of the result in Tirana. Only Nico O’Reilly, John Stones, Declan Rice and Kane survived, while Ebele Eze scored against Serbia on Thursday night and moved from being a substitute to starting.
Neither team had anything to play for, so it might not be all that surprising if the early knockouts weren’t rife with chances. However, there were players who still had points to prove.
One of them was Jarrod Bowen, who came closer than anyone else to scoring before the break, benefiting from a Jude Bellingham drive and having a low shot well saved by Tomas Strakosha. England debutant Jarel Quansah will also be hoping to make a good impression, with the Bayer Leverkusen defender making another save from Strakoša from a corner kick.
After the break, Albania started creating a little more. Arbor Hoxha had a golden chance to break the deadlock, only to fire at Dean Henderson in a scene that would have caused big problems if he had finished more calmly.
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England eventually got the breakthrough through Kane’s hard work, but the second goal was a superb header from substitute Marcus Rashford. Below are the mirror football talking points from the Three Lions final qualifier.
1. Fielding record remains the same
Not only were England aiming for eight wins out of eight, but they also had the chance to complete the qualifying campaign without conceding a goal. That would have felt like a pipe dream in June, when Senegal were punished for their defensive laxity in a summer friendly.
England had never won in eight of their eight World Cup qualifying games going into this match. It may not mean much in terms of hopes for North America next summer, but it was nonetheless symbolic.
The last two games were arguably the ones in which England came closer to conceding than at any point in the first six games. Serbia were chasing an equalizer before Eze’s second second-half goal on Thursday when goalkeeper Henderson needed to burst forward and make a perfectly timed tackle on Kazim Rashi, only to be abandoned by Serbia’s finish.
2. Bellingham’s quality moments
Jude Bellingham made an impressive cameo on Thursday and was included in the starting lineup against Albania. Ahead of kick-off, ITV studio pundits suggested Bellingham is the front-runner for No. 10 when England begin World Cup action next summer, but Morgan Rodgers, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer will no doubt have something to say about it – and there may still be a perfect moment for Bellingham to step into a deeper role.
Before the break, Bellingham had some clean moments, most notably his role on the counter-attack that ended with Bowen closing in. It was a game in which few players stood out, but his quality was clearly visible. Then, around 10 o’clock, he almost broke the deadlock, but slipped while taking a shot.
However, this game will not be the only one that will determine whether Bellingham will play in the opening round of the World Cup. A good season at Real Madrid could strengthen his case and we will know about the playing situation when Tuchel calls up his next squad in March.
3. O’Reilly argues
We felt it was noteworthy that Nico O’Reilly was one of four players to start in both qualifiers during the current break. Stones, Rice and Kane are thought to be automatic starters if they are fit, but the left-back position is up for grabs.
There are several elements here. Miles Lewis-Skelly was left out of Tuchel’s latest squad after playing poorly for Arsenal, Tino Livramento was injured and Lewis Hall has just returned from his own dismissal.
O’Reilly’s energy down the left has benefited the club this season, and with Jed Spence also available, it’s easy to see why Tuchel would have wanted more attention. Now he has the responsibility to maintain that at club level.
4. He respected Tuchel’s advice
Ahead of Sunday’s match, manager Thomas Tuchel was asked about the risk of a World Cup suspension. Cristiano Ronaldo was at risk of missing the opening World Cup match after receiving a red card against Ireland, and the England manager wanted to avoid similar accusations.
I don’t know if it was intentional or not, but it seemed like the first half lost some of its intensity. However, it may also be a factor that the opponents were not in a hurry to extend the Three Lions.
It may not sound like a big deal, but discipline will be key if England are to do well at the World Cup. With rising temperatures and expanded tournaments, patience is key.
5. Prior Depth Questions
Without Ollie Watkins in the team, it was left to Harry Kane to lead the team in back-to-back games. He played just over an hour against Serbia on Thursday, but this time Tuchel’s first two changes allowed other players to make way, leading to a longer run-out and ultimately breaking the deadlock.
There is no doubt that a fit Kane will start every game at the World Cup and his form with Bayern Munich this season speaks to that. But if he gets injured, the question becomes whether someone else has played well enough within Tuchel’s system.
Tuchel still has time to reconsider his options in March, when the pressure will be on individuals but not collectively. At the very least, the solid defense means there should be games where one goal is enough.
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