England sealed their place at the 2026 World Cup with a dominant 5-0 win over Latvia in Riga on Tuesday. Under coach Thomas Tuchel, England extended their perfect run in Group K, making it six wins from six matches. With 18 points and a commanding seven-point lead over second-placed Albania, the Three Lions are guaranteed top spot ahead of their final two fixtures next month.
The match saw Harry Kane continue his blistering form, scoring twice — one from the penalty spot — bringing his season tally for Bayern Munich and England to 21 goals in 13 games. Anthony Gordon opened the scoring early, and an own goal from Latvia's Maksims Tonisevs along with a late strike from Eberechi Eze completed the rout. Tuchel expressed his joy, saying, "It comes rarely that you qualify for a World Cup, so the mood is very, very good."
In contrast, Portugal were forced to wait for their qualification after a 2-2 draw with Hungary in Lisbon. Portugal were within seconds of sealing their World Cup spot when Cristiano Ronaldo gave them a 2-1 lead in first-half stoppage time. The 40-year-old superstar’s brace took his international goal tally to an astonishing 143 goals in 225 appearances, setting a new World Cup qualifying record with 41 goals.
However, Hungary stunned the Portuguese in injury time as Dominik Szoboszlai finished from close range to secure the draw. With Hungary now five points behind Portugal with two games left, the top spot in Group F is still up for grabs, leaving Ireland with a slim chance of qualifying after their 1-0 win over Armenia.
Meanwhile, Italy secured a vital 3-0 victory over Israel in Udine, moving closer to World Cup qualification. The match was preceded by pro-Palestinian protests and calls for Israel's exclusion from international competition. On the pitch, Mateo Retegui scored twice, including a penalty, and Gianluca Mancini added a third. Italy, desperate to qualify after missing the last two World Cups, are now second in Group I, just three points behind leaders Norway. The two teams will meet next month, but Norway’s superior goal difference still gives them the advantage.
In Group E, Spain continued their perfect run with a 4-0 thrashing of Bulgaria in Valladolid. Mikel Merino scored twice, and Mikel Oyarzabal converted a late penalty, while Atanas Chernev scored an own goal. Spain are now three points clear of Turkey, who also enjoyed a dominant 4-1 win over Georgia, with Merih Demiral scoring twice.
With crucial fixtures ahead, the race to secure World Cup spots is intensifying as the final qualification matches draw closer.
Source: Barrons
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
