England began their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with a convincing win over Albania. The match marked the debut of head coach Thomas Tuchel at the helm of the Three Lions—and it was a successful start.

Under former manager Gareth Southgate, England reached two European Championship finals, ultimately losing on both occasions. Moreover, fans grew frustrated with the team’s cautious, sometimes lackluster style of play. Many now hope that Tuchel will bring a more dynamic approach.

Based on this opener, there were no drastic changes right away. England predictably controlled possession against a compact Albanian defense, resulting in limited scoring chances early on. Harry Kane nearly broke through in the 17th minute, only for the Albanian back line to intervene at the last second. Moments later, a sublime pass from Jude Bellingham split the defense, and Lewis-Skelly capitalized to make it 1–0.

Shortly before halftime, England almost doubled their lead. On 40 minutes, Thomas Strakosha parried a drive from Bellingham, and Berat Djimsiti covered well to deny Kane the rebound. A minute later, Dan Burn went close with a header from a corner, only for Strakosha to tip the ball away from the near top corner.

The second half unfolded in a similar manner. Albania managed a few forays into England’s territory but couldn’t register a single shot on target. Meanwhile, the hosts sealed the win with a second goal in the 77th minute. Declan Rice delivered a cross into the box, and Kane took advantage of a defensive slip, calmly slotting the ball into the far bottom corner.

The 2–0 victory sees England off to a promising start in qualifying. Next, they host Latvia on March 24, where head coach Thomas Tuchel will look to continue building his new-look Three Lions.

FIFA World Cup 2026, Qualifiers

England - Albania 2:0 (1:0)
Goals: Lewis-Skelly, 20 (1:0); Kane, 77 (2:0)

England: Pickford; Burn; Konsa; Walker; Lewis-Skelly (James R., 90); Jones Cur. (Rogers M., 74); Rice (Henderson, 84); Foden (Bowen, 74); Bellingham; Kane; Rashford (Gordon A., 74)
Bench: Trafford; Henderson D.; Guehi; Colwill; Livramento; Eze; Solanke

Albania: Strakosha (Kastrati E., 82); Ajeti Ar.; Aliji; Balliu; Djimsiti; Asllani K.; Bajrami N. (Broja A., 64); Laci (Pajaziti Adrion, 78); Ramadani; Asani (Hoxha Ar., 78); Uzuni
Bench: Sherri; Ismajli; Kumbulla; Mihaj E.; Shehu; Berisha M.; Manaj; Muci E.
Yellow Cards: Djimsiti 32