England continued their perfect start to the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign under Thomas Tuchel with a 3-0 victory over Latvia at Wembley Stadium.
Goals from Reece James, Harry Kane, and Eberechi Eze ensured the Three Lions made it two wins from two in Group K.
The hosts were in control from the outset, though it took 38 minutes to break down a resilient Latvia defence.
England’s early dominance nearly counted for nothing when Vladislavs Gutkovskis squandered a golden opportunity to put the visitors ahead, failing to capitalise on a mix-up between Jordan Pickford and Marc Guehi.
That miss proved costly as Chelsea defender Reece James, making his first start for England since 2022, opened the scoring with a stunning free-kick from 25 yards.
His curling effort left Latvia goalkeeper Rihards Zviedris rooted to the spot, finding the top-right corner with his strike.
James’ goal marked England’s first free-kick goal at Wembley since John Barnes’ strike against the Netherlands in 1993.
Despite their dominance, England went into the break with just a one-goal lead. Tuchel’s side controlled possession and territory but struggled to convert their superiority into clear-cut chances in the first half.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with England dictating play and Latvia struggling to break out of their defensive shape.
Three goals and three points for the #ThreeLions 👏
A solid start to our @FIFAWorldCup qualifying campaign under Thomas Tuchel. pic.twitter.com/YqgoHlNzFr
— England (@England) March 24, 2025
England’s second goal finally arrived in the 68th minute, courtesy of a well-worked move involving Declan Rice and Harry Kane. Rice, who has now provided assists in consecutive England matches, surged down the right flank before drilling a low cross into the six-yard box, where Kane was on hand to tap home his 71st international goal.
Tuchel made several substitutions to inject fresh energy into the game, and it paid off in the 76th minute. Manchester City’s Phil Foden, introduced in place of Jude Bellingham, played a simple pass to Eberechi Eze, who dazzled the Wembley crowd with a brilliant solo run.
The Crystal Palace forward weaved past multiple defenders before firing home via a deflection, securing his first goal for England in style.
England continued to push forward, with debutant Rogers going close on a couple of occasions, while Guehi missed a golden opportunity to add a fourth. Zviedris produced a string of impressive saves to keep the scoreline respectable, denying Kane and Rogers late on.
With the victory, England remain top of Group K and now have a 75-day break before their next qualifier against Andorra on June 7.
Latvia, meanwhile, will look to regroup ahead of their clash with Azerbaijan on the same day. For Tuchel and his team, this was another step in the right direction as they continue their journey towards the 2026 World Cup.
