England are going to the 2026 World Cup, and they are going there in style after another 5-0 win away from home as Latvia became the latest victims of a team that is well and truly taking shape under Thomas Tuchel. The Three Lions have booked their place at next summer's bonanza in North America with two games to spare after winning their first six qualifiers, without conceding a single goal in the process.
And now that England know they are going to the United States, Mexico and Canada, attention can now turn to who they want to bring with them. Only a freak injury will stop the insatiable Harry Kane from leading the line, and the two places on either side of him also look to be locked down. Bukayo Saka is practically immovable on the right wing, while it is also now looking very difficult for anyone to budge Anthony Gordon from his position on the left flank after he scored a spectacular opening goal in Riga amid a tremendous overall display.
Many fans both wanted and expected to see Jack Grealish make his England return on the back of his incredible resurgence on loan at Everton, but Gordon is not only standing in his way, he is running off into the distance as the most likely candidate to start on the left-hand side at the tournament.
Not many teams will be looking forward to facing England next summer if they can maintain their current form, having scored 13 goals without reply in their last three fixtures. The Football Association's (FA) controversial decision to appoint Tuchel as coach last year is now looking a little wiser and it is becoming difficult for even his staunchest opponents to deny that he is doing an excellent job.
"It’s been top from start to finish," said Gordon of England's blistering World Cup qualifying campaign. "The manager said it in the changing room, we haven’t conceded a goal. Just the vibe and the atmosphere, we have given everything for each other. It can be difficult in an international environment because the lads come from everywhere and we don't see each other all the time."
Tuchel stressed last week that he wanted to "build a team, not collect talented players", and he is certainly doing that. But within his team there is still an awful lot of talent, and Gordon is making the most of his natural ability as much as anyone else.
GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Daugava Stadium…
Getty ImagesWINNER: Anthony Gordon
Many England teams of the past have been held back by being lopsided in attack, but in Gordon the current Three Lions have an undisputed candidate to not only start on the left flank, but to cause serious damage down it. Gordon often plays like an old-fashioned winger despite being right-footed, although he took a step towards modernity when he cut in from the left to score his goal against Latvia, which he said he had been practising over the last few days with the help of back-up goalkeeper Dean Henderson.
Gordon often raises his game for England and he always had Latvia on the backfoot on Tuesday, twisting his way through the hosts all evening before making way for Marcus Rashford. The Newcastle winger looks to be the most consistent performer England have in his position, despite the huge competition for his role from the likes of Rashford, Eberechi Eze and the absent pair of Grealish and Phil Foden.
There was only one downside to his display: it was a reminder of how short-sighted Sir Gareth Southgate had been to use him so sparsely at Euro 2024.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportLOSER: Jack Grealish
Poor Grealish. Even as he is getting his career back on track with Everton and returning to being the adventurous, daring player he was before Pep Guardiola squeezed all the flair out of him at Manchester City, his days in the England team look numbered while Gordon is in this type of form.
Grealish would have been a shoo-in to make his return to the squad under any other coach, but Tuchel has stumbled upon a group of players he likes the look of and it is going to prove very difficult for the Everton loanee to force his way back in. Gordon looks to be the nailed-on choice to start on the left wing at the World Cup and there is a long queue of other players ahead of Grealish in the race to get on the plane to North America next summer.
Rashford, fresh from a strong start to his loan spell at Barcelona, was in a probing mood on the left wing when he replaced Gordon, while Eze, who is another option on the left wing even though he replaced Morgan Rogers in a central role on Tuesday, proved his worth by scoring a fine goal.
It is not just Grealish who might struggle to unseat Gordon and fight his way back into the squad in time for the World Cup, either. Foden has rarely produced his best football on the international stage and he has often been placed on the left of midfield due to the wealth of options through the middle. It is not a natural fit for him in an England jersey, especially compared to the electric Gordon.
Getty Images SportWINNER: Harry Kane
Many players would have reacted to suffering an injury for their club by withdrawing from international duty and giving themselves a week off to rest at home with their families. But not many players have the same commitment to their national team as Kane, who reported for duty as usual despite hurting his ankle, the part of his body which has caused him the most pain during his career, while in action for Bayern Munich.
Kane could not make it back in time for Thursday's win over Wales, but Tuchel knew his captain would be fit in time to face Latvia, and Kane picked up where he had left off by scoring in an eighth consecutive match for club and country. His brace took him on to 15 goals in that run, while it was the 13th time he had bagged more than once in a game for his country, breaking yet another England record, one previously held by Nat Lofthouse, who retired from international football as long ago as 1958.
Kane declared he was in the very best form of his career after the game, and the only shame from England's point of view is that they have to wait another eight months for the World Cup. Right now, Kane is in irresistible form, but the fear is that he might yet again be worn out by the time the tournament comes around.
That, though, is a problem to deal with in 2026. Now we might as well just enjoy watching Kane at the peak of his powers.
Getty Images SportLOSER: Tuchel's naysayers
There were many opposing voices when Tuchel was named England boss this time last year. A lot of the dissenters took issue with the FA appointing a foreign coach on principle as it flies in the face of the notion of international football, while there was also lot of negative focus on Tuchel's character due to his propensity to rarely last more than a couple of years in each job and his tendency to fall out with people.
The number one criticism, though, was that he was a short-term appointment with just one objective: To win the World Cup. There was no regard as to what came next, according to the naysayers, many of whom saw his hiring as anathema to long-term progress of the national game on the eve of a home European Championship.
One year on, though, and those who doubted in Thomas are beginning to look a little silly. The coach has a flawless record of six wins from six competitive games, his team having scored 18 goals while conceding none. They have been so solid defensively, in fact, that they have only faced one shot on target in qualifying.
From scolding fans to dropping big-name players and demanding his team never take their foot off the accelerator, Tuchel has bucked tradition and rocked the boat. So far, he is proving to be a breath of fresh air.