Tuchel’s Triumph: England’s Historic Leap into World Cup Glory

Albania 0-2 England

Those who thought this match would be a mere formality for England clearly underestimate Thomas Tuchel. The Three Lions, as many anticipated, successfully navigated their way through the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, securing wins in all seven matches and scoring 20 unanswered goals. A victory and a clean sheet against Albania in Tirana for their final group match would mark a historic achievement, making them the first European nation to win at least six World Cup qualifying matches while conceding no goals. True to his demanding nature, Tuchel expected nothing less, and Harry Kane’s late brace secured a significant 2-0 victory, raising concerns among England’s rivals.

A clean sweep of victories in European qualifying is a rare feat. Only four nations have accomplished this, excluding the early days of World Cup qualifying when there were fewer teams. The previous teams to achieve this include West Germany in 1982, Spain, and the Netherlands in 2010, and Germany in 2018. Currently, Spain and Norway are the only other teams vying to join this elite group, but they have yet to finish their matches. England was also aiming to be the first European team to win all qualifying games (minimum of six) without conceding.

Of course, Tuchel appreciated the clubs that allowed players like Bukayo Saka, Morgan Rogers, Reece James, Elliot Anderson, and Jordan Pickford to rest during international duty. Nevertheless, he assembled a strong lineup, including Kane, Declan Rice, and Jude Bellingham, with their sights set on making history. Tuchel took the match seriously, demonstrating that England was not just invincible in spirit, but also statistically.

England dominated possession in the first half with 76%, but struggled to create opportunities within a somewhat disjointed 3-2-2-3 formation. Despite featuring Jarrod Bowen and Eberechi Eze in attacking roles, England went into halftime without a goal, yet their clean sheet remained intact. To prevent Albania from scoring would mean England qualified for their second World Cup without conceding, a feat last accomplished by Bobby Robson’s team in 1990, even though they didn’t win every game like Tuchel’s squad did.

It was apparent that Tuchel’s team was always in control of the match, with the scoreline remaining 0-0 in the 73rd minute. He introduced Saka and Marcus Rashford late in the game while keeping Kane on the pitch, which ultimately paid off. The captain netted two quick goals in the final quarter-hour, marking eight goals in eight World Cup qualifying games.

England hasn’t lost a World Cup qualifier since 2009, and their current unbeaten streak has reached 39 games, set to continue into the 2030 campaign. To declare oneself unbeatable is one thing, but England has proven it through performance. As the team prepares for the upcoming tournament in the USA, Mexico, and Canada in seven months, Tuchel’s squad will surely be one of the teams to watch out for.