England produced a dominant display in Riga to secure a 5-0 win over Latvia and confirm their place in the 2026 World Cup.
Thomas Tuchel’s side dominated the game from the first whistle, outplaying their hosts in every aspect and displaying the ferocity that has defined their qualifying campaign.
The breakthrough came in the 26th minute when Anthony Gordon, lively from the start, cut in from the left and curled a low shot into the bottom corner for his second goal for England.
Latvia’s brief counter-attacking attempts were quickly stifled, and the gap in quality was soon repeated again before half-time.
A cross from the back allowed Bukayo Saka to pass the ball to Harry Kane, who fired a powerful shot from outside the penalty area past Zvidris to double the lead.
Moments later, the Bayern Munich striker scored his second goal of the match, converting a penalty after Antonis Cernomordis was awarded a penalty for pulling his shirt inside the penalty area.
Leading 3-0 at half-time, England never looked in danger. Latvia tried to hold the fort after the restart but fell behind due to another defensive error.
In the 58th minute, Jed Spence’s cross from the right side caused chaos in the area, and substitute Maxim Tonisevs accidentally diverted the ball into his own net, making the score 4-0.
Tuchel took the opportunity to make several changes after the hour mark, bringing in Eberechi Eze, Jarrod Bowen and Jordan Henderson to manage the minutes and keep the tempo high.
Eze was rewarded four minutes from time when Bowen’s clever pass found him on the left. The Arsenal playmaker cut inside and curled a shot into the bottom corner – his second international goal, both coming against Latvia.
Latvia’s best moment came late on through substitute Kristaps Grabovskis, but his shot was blocked by Dan Byrne, who had replaced John Stones earlier in the first half.
Kane, who has scored 76 goals for his country, continues to chase records, while Gordon and Eze have cemented their growing reputations on the international stage.
The result not only confirmed England’s qualification, but reaffirmed their credentials as serious contenders for next summer’s tournament in the United States.
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