2026 World Cup Qualifiers: Tuchel’s Three Lions Expected to Feast on Andorra
by Joseph King
England prepare for fifth match under Thomas Tuchel
It’s safe to say it’s been a somewhat underwhelming start to Thomas Tuchel’s stint as England manager. While they have a perfect 100% winning record in 2026 World Cup qualifying fixtures, the level of opposition has to be taken into account.
The Three Lions have played Albania (currently ranked 68th), Latvia (137th) and Andorra (174th) in qualifying. While they have yet to concede a goal, the general feeling is that they’ve struggled to get out of second gear in attack.
Additionally, England also fell to a shock 3-1 defeat to Senegal at home in a friendly match back in June. It marked the first time that England had lost to an African team in 22 previous attempts, an ignominious record that the German manager is sure to miffed by.
England results so far under Tuchel:
- (H) England vs Senegal - 3-1 loss
- (A) Andorra vs England - 1-0 win
- (H) England vs Latvia - 3-0 win
- (H) England vs Albania - 2-0 win
How’s the qualifying outlook?
England are expected to cruise to World Cup qualification, as they usually do at this stage. They’ve won all three of their matches so far, putting them top of the five-team group with nine points. England have five games left which will be played over the next three international breaks; two in September, one in October and two in November.
Here’s the remaining schedule:
- (H) England vs Andorra: WCQ, 06 September 2025
- (A) Serbia vs England: WCQ, 09 September 2025
- (H) England vs Wales: IF, 09 October 2025
- (A) Latvia vs England: WCQ, 14 October 2025
- (H) England vs Serbia: WCQ, 13 November 2025
- (A) Albania vs England: WCQ, 16 November 2025
*WCQ = World Cup Qualifying, IF = International Friendly
Check out the Group K standings as well:
| Team | Played | Record (W-D-L) | Points | Goal differential |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 3 | 3-0-0 | 9 | +6 |
| Albania | 4 | 1-2-1 | 5 | +1 |
| Serbia | 2 | 1-1-0 | 4 | +3 |
| Latvia | 3 | 1-1-1 | 4 | -2 |
| Andorra | 4 | 0-0-4 | 0 | -8 |
England team and expected lineup
Goalkeepers:
Jordan Pickford (Everton), Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), James Trafford (Manchester City).
Defenders:
Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Dan Burn (Newcastle), Djed Spence (Tottenham), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Reece James (Chelsea), John Stones (Manchester City), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Livramento (Newcastle).
Midfielders:
Declan Rice (Arsenal), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest).
Attackers:
Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa).
Tuchel’s tactics
Tuchel has experimented quite a lot in his first four games. He’s trotted out a 4-2-3-1, 4-1-4-1 and, unsuccessfully against Senegal, a 4-4-2. The 4-2-3-1 is the 52-year-old’s go-to formation though, and we’re expecting him to return to it for this match. Our experts are backing a comprehensive win for the Three Lions. See the full analysis in our England vs Andorra prediction!
Tuchel had previously paired Arsenal’s Declan Rice with Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham in the double-pivot.
However, with Bellingham pulling out of the squad, we’re likely to see Jordan Henderson fill in. This would allow Rice more freedom to get forward and influence the match in the final third, a role in which he has excelled for his club.
Also missing is Cole Palmer, who would have been a leading candidate to start in the #10 position. Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers could instead be called upon after solid showings against Latvia and Andorra previously.
Tuchel has a few options to choose from on the wings with Rashford, Bowen, Eze and Madueke all pushing for a starting spot. In defense, Marc Guehi has established himself as one of the first-choice centre backs and will likely be paired with Dan Burn on the left.
In goal, Jordan Pickford has started all three qualifiers so far and is expected to return between the sticks here. However, Tuchel did hand Crystal Palace’s Dean Henderson his second ever start as England goalkeeper in the team’s 3-1 loss to Senegal and it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he gives him the nod once again.
