England secured a 2-0 victory over Albania in Tirana to finish their 2026 World Cup qualifying group with eight straight wins and no goals conceded. Harry Kane scored both goals in the second half, extending his tally to 40 qualifying strikes since 2019. The result confirms England's status as group winners heading into the tournament.
The match on November 16, 2025, at 17:00 GMT saw Thomas Tuchel's England side dominate possession in the first half but struggle to create clear chances against a resilient Albania team coached by Sylvinho. Albania, already assured of second place and a playoff spot, threatened on counters through Arber Hoxha and Elseid Hysaj, but England's Dean Henderson faced little serious testing. Declan Rice registered the first shot on target, while Jarrod Bowen forced a low save from Thomas Strakosha. Jude Bellingham set up Jarrad Quansah for a tame header from a corner.
The second half began with Albania warnings, as Hoxha forced a stop from Henderson and set up Nedim Bajrami for a heavy finish. England responded with opportunities for Eberechi Eze, Bukayo Saka, and Bowen, but substitutions lifted the tempo. The breakthrough came in the 74th minute when Saka's corner was flicked on by Naser Aliji, allowing Kane to poke home from close range.
Eight minutes later, Marcus Rashford's precise cross from the left found Kane, who powered a header into the net to seal the win. The game ended somberly with Albania's Armando Broja stretchered off with a suspected knee injury during six added minutes.
Post-match, Kane praised the squad's depth: "If you are going to go far in any tournament, you need the whole squad... We are going to need everyone." He added that the team enters the World Cup as favorites: "When you look at the starting XI... we are going to go into the tournament as one of the favourites." England, who previously beat Albania 2-0 on March 21, now await the finals draw on December 5, 2025, in Washington DC.