FIFA WORLD CUP EUROPEAN QUALIFYING : ALBANIA VS ENGLAND – 16/11/2025 (PHOTO – HARRY KANE CELEBRATES)

IT WAS AN INTRIGUING MATCH BETWEEN ALBANIA VS ENGLAND LAST NIGHT, WITH THE THREE LIONS SEEMINGLY PLAYING DEFENSIVELY IN THE FIRST-HALF, WHILST WORKING OUT THE ALBANIAN STYLE OF PLAY. THE ALBANIAN SQUAD ARE A HARDY BUNCH, AND HIGHLY SKILLED, HAVING WON THEIR LAST FIVE GAMES ACROSS ALL COMPETITIONS AND ARE UNBEATEN IN EIGHT MATCHES.

MOREOVER, THOMAS TUCHEL HAD TOLD HIS PLAYER’S IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS NOT TO GET A RED CARD WHICH COULD MEAN A WORLD CUP BAN!  (BELOW – THOMAS TUCHEL CAN BE STRICT WHEN HE NEEDS TO BE!)

(CRISTIANO RONALDO GOT SENT OFF DURING PORTUGAL’S DEFEAT BY THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND RECENTLY, WHICH MEANS THAT HE WILL MISS THE START OF THE WORLD CUP IF THEY QUALIFY.) AND, INDEED, NO RED CARDS WERE GIVEN – TO EITHER SIDE.

FIFA WORLD CUP EUROPEAN QUALIFYING : ALBANIA VS ENGLAND – 16/11/2025

ALBANIA HAD 7 SHOTS, WITH 3 ON-TARGET, AND 5 CORNERS, BUT NO GOALS ON THIS OCCASION. ENGLAND ALSO HAD 5 CORNERS, (66% POSSESSION), AND 15 SHOTS, WITH 10 ON-TARGET, BUT NO GOALS UNTIL THE SECOND-HALF, AFTER STORMING OUT OF THE TUNNEL, WHEN HARRY KANE HAD 2 MOMENTS OF WHAT CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS ‘ABSOLUTE GENIUS’ AFTER THE FRESH LEGS OF BUYAKO SAKA (WHO HAD JUST REPLACED EZE), PUT HIS HAND UP IN THE AIR FROM THE CORNER, SIGNALLING “GET YOUR BOOTS READY” – AND SURE ENOUGH, HARRY KANE WAS WAITING FOR THE BALL WHICH LANDED PERFECTLY ON THE END OF HIS BOOT, FOR HIM TO FIRE HOME THE MOST SUBLIME GOAL AT 74 MINS. (BELOW) 

 AND THEN IT WAS THE TURN OF FRESH LEGGED MARCUS RASHFORD (WHO HAD JUST REPLACED BOWEN), TO SEND A PERFECTLY AIMED CROSS OVER TO HARRY KANE, WHO HEADED THE BALL INTO THE CORNER OF THE GOAL! (BELOW)

AND AS THERE WERE NO FURTHER GOALS, THE MATCH CULMINATED IN A 2 – 0 WIN TO ENGLAND!  (BELOW – HARRY KANE AND ENGLAND CELEBRATE)

SO THERE YOU HAVE IT, THE THREE LIONS HAVE NOW SUCCESSFULLY WON 8 OUT OF THEIR 8 QUALIFYING MATCHES, MAKING IT THE BEST WORLD CUP QUALIFYING COMPETITION IN ENGLAND’S HISTORY!

ENGLAND WILL GO THROUGH TO THE WORLD CUP UNBLEMISHED FROM INJURY OR RED CARDS THANKS TO THOMAS TUCHEL’S GUIDANCE AND THEIR COHESIVENESS AS A TEAM!  (BELOW – HARRY KANE AND ENGLAND CELEBRATE)

THE WORLD CUP DRAW IN ON DECEMBER 5TH 2025.

FIFA WORLD CUP EUROPEAN QUALIFYING : ALBANIA VS ENGLAND – 16/11/2025

REACTION AS ENGLAND REACH PERFECT WORLD CUP QUALIFICATION

WORDS BY AMANDA WATERS