America calling: Electrifying England obliterate Latvia to qualify for World Cup

Harry Kane breaks another two England goalscoring records as the Three Lions seal their place at the 2026 World Cup with two games to spare courtesy of a 5-0 win over Latvia in Group K.

England have qualified for the 2026 World Cup with two games to spare courtesy of a 5-0 win over Latvia in Group K, on an evening where Harry Kane broke another two records for his country.

As the travelling fans quickly made their feelings clear towards Thomas Tuchel – who took aim at a lack of atmosphere in last week’s friendly win over Wales – England commenced their efforts to break down Latvia’s defence-heavy 5-4-1 structure.

After a disallowed Harry Kane goal inside the opening two minutes, the visitors’ endeavours paid off midway through the first half, as Anthony Gordon cut inside from the left and curled in a sumptuous opener.

Kane’s customary goals would arrive on the stroke of half time; not one, but two, as the skipper doubled the visitors’ lead with a fine low finish just a couple of minutes before a clinical penalty, thus setting a new record for the most multiple-goal games for the Three Lions.

A Maksims Tonisevs own goal just before the hour mark rubbed salt into the hosts’ wounds, and to make it a proper five-star performance, substitute Eberechi Eze capped off a near-perfect evening for England in the dying embers.

Still perfect in Group K with six wins from a possible six, England now cannot be caught at the top of the section, while fourth-placed Latvia’s wafer-thin hopes of sneaking into the playoffs have now been extinguished.

SPORTS MOLE’S VERDICT

It could officially be coming home.

Thanks to Albania’s victory over Serbia at the weekend, Tuchel and co knew that victory by any scoreline would suffice for World Cup qualification, but there was no chance of England being content with just the one-goal success tonight.

It only feels like yesterday that England fans were complaining about their side’s toothlessness with Tuchel – and with good reason (Andorra) – but the Three Lions are now in full flow under the Champions League winner, and are a joy to watch.

The table above could hardly make for more pleasant reading for England; six games, six wins, 18 points, 18 goals scored, none conceded, the statistics would suggest that their qualification campaign has been nothing short of perfect so far.

Of course, there are improvements that could be made to even the best team on the planet – a goal that England aspire to achieve – and they have gone about starting that quest with professionalism and panache.

LATVIA VS. ENGLAND HIGHLIGHTSAnthony Gordon goal vs. Latvia (26th min, Latvia 0-1 England)England take the lead! ???????

Anthony Gordon finishes after a wonderful long pass from John Stones ⚽️#ITVFootball | #ThreeLions pic.twitter.com/kO4KItQTcj

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) October 14, 2025Two former Everton players combine for an exquisite England opener.

The visitors snuff out a Latvia counter-attack, and John Stones has ample time to pick out the run of Gordon with a lobbed ball over the top.

The Newcastle United winger cuts inside from the left, wraps his foot around the ball and bends a sublime strike into the far corner to break the deadlock.

Harry Kane goal vs. Latvia (44th min, Latvia 0-2 England)Is that the goal that sends England to the World Cup? ????????

Kane doubles England’s lead with a fine strike ⚽️⚽️#ITVFootball | #ThreeLions pic.twitter.com/X2jkXocWR1

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) October 14, 2025Devastating.

Latvia attempt to play out from the back but cannot escape the Three Lions’ press, as a maroon shirt inadvertently strikes the ball into the body of Bukayo Saka.

Kane picks up the pieces, drives infield from the right and finds the far corner with a terrific left-footed drive from inside the D.

Harry Kane penalty goal vs. Latvia (45+3 min, Latvia 0-3 England)PENALTY TO ENGLAND! ⚽️

Kane makes no mistake from the spot ?#ITVFootball | #ThreeLions pic.twitter.com/gDDovHi89q

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) October 14, 2025Start booking your plane tickets and hotel rooms, England fans.

Kane is convinced that his shirt is being pulled by Latvia captain Antonijs Cernomordijs at a corner, and the referee agrees with him following a check of the pitchside monitor.

The Bayern Munich marksman gives the goalkeeper the eyes from the penalty spot, stutters and calmly rolls the ball into the opposite corner for the visitors’ third.

Maksims Tonisevs own goal vs. Latvia (58th min, Latvia 0-4 England)England have a fourth! ⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️

And it’s a moment to forget for Maksims Tonisevs ?#ITVFootball | #ThreeLions pic.twitter.com/Wrd7ZPZsIm

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) October 14, 2025The hosts’ humbling continues in painful fashion.

Latvia number one Krisjanis Zviedris gets a hand to a Djed Spence cross, but he can only deflect the ball onto the foot of an unawares Tonisevs at the back post.

The substitute, his teammates and England’s players all stand and watch as the ball drops into an empty net.

Eberechi Eze goal vs. Latvia (86th min, Latvia 0-5 England)IT’S FIVE! ?

Eberechi Eze puts the cherry on top – England are going to the World Cup! ??#ITVFootball | #ThreeLions pic.twitter.com/6LyUTf1zCt

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) October 14, 2025Just for good measure.

Once again, Latvia mastermind their own downfall as Jarrod Bowen wins the ball in the middle of the park before driving at an utterly disorganised 11 Wolves defence.

The West Ham United skipper picks the right pass to Eze, who drives inside from the left inside the penalty area and picks out the bottom corner with a powerful strike.

MAN OF THE MATCH – HARRY KANE

A wild injury-time free kick aside, Kane led from the front as he so often does for club and country, smashing two more records on an evening where he added two more goals to his England tally.

Thanks to a vicious left-footed strike and obligatory ruthless penalty, Kane has now scored at least two goals in more games for England than any other man, as well as netting more for the Three Lions while playing for a foreign team than anyone else.

Should the skipper carry on scoring in the same vein AND fire England to World Cup glory in North America, it would be extremely hard to argue against him for the Ballon d’Or.

LATVIA VS. ENGLAND MATCH STATSPossession: Latvia 28%-72% England

Shots: Latvia 6-24 England

Shots on target: Latvia 1-7 England

Corners: Latvia 2-9 England

Fouls: Latvia 11-5 England

BEST STATS8 – England have now qualified for eight successive FIFA World Cup tournaments (since 1998), extending their longest ever run. Plane. pic.twitter.com/FEWIF5Q6Pb

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 14, 2025
13 – Harry Kane has scored more than one goal in a match for England for the 13th time – a new Three Lions record, surpassing Nat Lofthouse’s 12. Baker’s. pic.twitter.com/5KUsDr1iWi

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 14, 2025
Harry Kane now holds the record for the most England goals scored while at a non-English club (18).

He surpasses Gary Lineker’s record of 17, set during his time at Barcelona between 1986 and 1989. ? pic.twitter.com/djieG9EZcm

— Squawka (@Squawka) October 14, 2025

WHAT NEXT?England’s players can afford some moderate qualification celebrations before domestic football returns, but they must then complete the formalities of next month’s final two Group K games against Serbia (H, November 13) and Albania (A, November 16).

As for Latvia – whose wait for a first-ever World Cup appearance as an independent nation continues – Paolo Nicolato’s side meet North Macedonia in a friendly on November 13 before closing out their Qualifying campaign away to Serbia on November 16, when they could potentially still claim the consolation prize of a third-placed finish.

ID:583538:1false2false3false: from db desktop :LenBod:collect13576:

No Data Analysis info