England Triumphs Over Latvia 3-0 in World Cup Qualifiers

Date: March 25, 2025

Location: Wembley Stadium, London

England's national football team secured a convincing 3-0 victory against Latvia in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers held at Wembley Stadium early Tuesday morning. Under the management of Thomas Tuchel, the Three Lions continued their strong performance, remaining unbeaten in the qualification rounds.

From the onset of the match, England displayed dominance, controlling the tempo and creating multiple scoring opportunities. Jarrod Bowen came close to opening the scoring in the 18th minute, but his shot veered off target to the right of Latvia's goal.

Latvia responded quickly, pushing forward in search of a goal. However, their forward Vladislavs Gutkovskis also failed to capitalize on a chance shortly after. England maintained its relentless offensive pressure, almost finding the back of the net in the 22nd minute when Ezri Konsa's close-range attempt was thwarted by Latvia's goalkeeper, Krišjānis Zviedris. Jude Bellingham had another opportunity soon after, but his header sailed over the goal. Harry Kane also tested the Latvian defense with a header in the 24th minute, which produced a similar outcome.

The breakthrough came in the 38th minute when Myles Lewis-Skelly was fouled by Gutkovskis, earning England a free kick. Reece James took the responsibility and delivered a well-placed shot into the right corner of the net, giving England a 1-0 lead that they held going into halftime.

In the second half, England extended their lead in the 68th minute. A swift interplay between Marcus Rashford and Morgan Rogers on the left flank set up Declan Rice, who provided a precise low cross for Harry Kane. Kane capitalized on the opportunity, expertly placing the ball past Zviedris to make it 2-0. The Three Lions solidified their dominance in the 76th minute when Eberechi Eze, receiving a pass from Phil Foden, made a brilliant cut inside before firing a shot that found the back of the net, bringing the score to 3-0. Throughout the match, England exhibited solid teamwork and offensive prowess, finishing the game without conceding a goal. The victory places England at the top of Group K with six points from two matches, highlighted by a total of five goals scored and none conceded. Conversely, Latvia, which had previously won against Andorra, now sits in third place with three points.

Starting Lineups:

England: Pickford; Lewis-Skelly (Walker 79'), Guehi, Konsa, James; Bellingham (Foden 67'), Rice (Henderson 79'); Rashford (Jones 79'), Rogers, Bowen (Eze 61'); Kane.

Latvia: Zviedris; Ciganiks, Balodis (Sliede 83'), Cernomordijs, Jurkovskis (Daskevics 61'), Savalnieks (Jagodinskis 54'); Ikaunieks (Melniks 83'), Zelenkovs, Saveljevs, Jaunzems; Gutkovskis (Sits 61').

This dominating win further cements England's status as a strong contender in the ongoing World Cup qualification campaign.