England: When can Thomas Tuchel’s side qualify for the World Cup?

BySteve Sutcliffe, BBC Sport journalist and Andy Cryer, BBC Sport Senior Journalist

World Cup qualifying: Latvia v England

Venue: Daugava Stadium, Riga Date: Tuesday, 14 October Time: 19:45 BST

Coverage: Listen live on BBC Sounds and Radio 5 Live; follow live text commentary, updates and be part of the conversation on BBC Sport website & app

England are one win away from securing their spot at the 2026 World Cup finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Serbia’s 1-0 defeat by Albania on Saturday means Thomas Tuchel’s England can qualify by winning in Latvia on Tuesday, with two matches of their campaign still to play after that trip.

The Three Lions have not missed a major tournament since 2008, when they fell short in qualifying for the European Championship under Steve McClaren.

Tuchel’s side have won all five of their Group K fixtures to date without conceding a goal.

And their place at the most-watched sporting event on the planet next summer could now be confirmed within days.

What happens if England fail to win in Latvia?

Anything but victory in Latvia on Tuesday would leave England still looking for a win against Serbia in November to guarantee qualification.

A point in Latvia, though, would mean a draw with Serbia would all but secure their spot because England have a vastly better goal difference than second-placed Albania.

England travel to Albania for their final group fixture on 16 November.

The 12 group runners-up in the European section of qualifying will participate in the play-offs.

They will be joined by the four best-ranked group winners of the 2024-25 Nations League that did not finish in the top two of their European qualifying groups.

The 16 teams who enter the play-offs will be drawn into four play-off paths, with four teams featuring in each.

Play-off matches will consist of single-leg semi-finals followed by single-leg finals, taking place on 26 and 31 March 2026.

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption,

England have a formidable record in qualifying for major tournaments

When could England find out who is in their World Cup group?

Should England qualify for next summer’s finals over the coming weeks, they will learn their opposition very quickly.

The World Cup draw takes place on 5 December at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington DC.

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