England’s latest World Cup qualification cycle kicks off on Friday, with a new man at the helm. Thomas Tuchel, who previously led Chelsea to UEFA Champions League glory, has taken over as manager, replacing Gareth Southgate. Tuchel’s first task is to ensure England qualifies for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada, and avoid the embarrassment of missing the tournament for the first time since 1994.
England’s first opponent under Tuchel is Albania, a nation on the rise in international football. Albania featured in the latest European Championship finals, although they fell at the group stage hurdle. With neither of their two major tournament appearances coming at the World Cup, Albania is eager to cause an upset at Wembley and take a step closer to qualifying for the competition for the first time.
Albania faces a tough task, however, as they sit 61 places lower than England in FIFA’s current rankings. The visitors have also struggled in recent internationals, winning just one of their last five matches (D1, L3). Furthermore, Albania has lost all six of their prior head-to-head meetings with England, scoring just one goal in the process.
Despite the odds being against them, Albania will look to Rey Manaj to lead their attack. Manaj has scored seven international goals, and his team has enjoyed positive results in those matches (W6, D1). England, meanwhile, will rely on the talents of Jude Bellingham, who has been involved in ten goals in his last 15 England appearances (G5, A5).
As the two teams prepare to face off at Wembley, history is not on Albania’s side. The visitors have never won a competitive match against a nation ranked inside FIFA’s top ten (D2, L17). England, on the other hand, is eager to start their World Cup qualification journey on a positive note and build momentum under their new manager.
The stage is set for an exciting encounter between England and Albania, with the home team looking to assert their dominance and the visitors seeking to pull off a major upset. Will Tuchel’s England get off to a flying start, or can Albania cause a shock at Wembley?
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