England Maintain Perfect Start to World Cup 2026 Qualifiers with 2–0 Win Over Andorra
England continued their flawless run in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers with a controlled but underwhelming 2–0 victory over Andorra at Villa Park, Birmingham.
Thomas Tuchel's side dominated from start to finish, enjoying a staggering 83% possession, yet found it hard to break through an ultra-defensive Andorran setup that showed little interest in attacking.
The deadlock was broken in the 25th minute, albeit fortuitously, when Noni Madueke sent in a cross from the right and Christian Garcia of Andorra deflected the ball into his own net under pressure. It was a moment that summed up the first half: control without clarity in the final third.
Declan Rice doubled the lead in the 67th minute with a well-placed header from a perfectly weighted cross by Reece James, finally giving the home crowd something to properly cheer about.
Despite the lopsided stats and comfortable scoreline, England's lack of cutting edge in front of goal was apparent. However, the result marks their fourth consecutive win in qualifying — all without conceding — as Tuchel maintains a perfect start to his tenure as national team manager.
FIFA World Cup 2026, Qualifiers
England - Andorra 2:0 (1:0)
Goals: Garcia C., 25 (own goal) (1:0); Rice, 67 (2:0)
England: Pickford; Burn; Lewis-Skelly; James R. (Livramento, 68); Guehi (Konsa, 76); Rice (Rogers M., 68); Eze (Gibbs-White, 78); Anderson E.; Madueke; Rashford (Gordon A., 68); Kane
Substitution: Livramento (from 68); Gordon A. (from 68); Rogers M. (from 68); Konsa (from 76); Gibbs-White (from 78)
Bench: Henderson D.; Trafford; Spence D.; Henderson; Loftus-Cheek; Watkins; Bowen
Yellow Cards: Burn 90
Andorra: Álvarez I.; Llovera; Garcia C.; San Nicolas M.; Cervós (Rubio Ch., 91); Oliveira Ian; Borra; Vales (Guillen, 59); Babot (Rebés, 91); Rodrigo (Dacu, 81); Cucu (Lopez G., 59)
Substitution: Guillen (from 59); Lopez G. (from 59); Dacu (from 81); Rubio Ch. (from 91); Rebés (from 91)
Bench: Pires; Ruiz Ál.; Vales E.; Garcia M.; Izquierdo Е.; João Teixeira; Alex Martínez
Yellow Cards: Babot 6
