England vs Wales: Familiar Foes Collide Ahead of Crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
England look to extend dominant run against noisy neighbours
While this may be billed as a ‘friendly’ fixture, matches between England and Wales are rarely contested as such, with bragging rights on the line and both sets of fans demanding nothing less than full commitment.
Thomas Tuchel’s side retained their number four spot during the latest FIFA Men’s World Ranking update as of September 18, while Craig Bellamy’s team moved up a spot to 30th overall and back into the top 15 among UEFA nations.
The Three Lions have been the dominant side in this contest over the years, having won 67 of the 102 matches against the Dragons. Wales have only beaten England 14 times, while 21 encounters ended level at the final whistle.
Each of the last seven matches between these sides have been won by the Men in White, which is their third-longest win streak against a single opponent. Our experts are firmly in the camp of the Three Lions extending that record, according to our England vs Wales prediction.
The squad from across the border have shipped 14 goals during their current losing streak against England and only scored once themselves in this period. Their last encounter ended in a 3-0 defeat at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Preparation ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
Beyond bragging rights, England and Wales will use this match as final preparation before resuming their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaigns next week, when a victory could prove crucial for both teams, albeit for slightly different reasons.
The Three Lions are perched atop the standings in Group K with a perfect record of five wins in five games. They have scored a whopping 13 goals, but more impressively, they have not conceded a single goal during the current qualifying campaign.
Tuchel’s men have a seven-point buffer over second-placed Albania, meaning that a victory against Latvia next week will book their ticket to the FIFA World Cup in North America next year. Don’t forget, you can enjoy every moment of England vs. Latvia on our World Cup livescore tool.
Wales, meanwhile, are currently sat in third place in Group J, one point behind surprise section leaders North Macedonia, who are unbeaten after five games, and level on 10 points with second-placed Belgium, who have a game in hand on the rest of the teams in the group.
The Dragons are set to face off against the Red Devils on Monday next week at the Cardiff City Stadium in what could be a defining fixture. However, they have not beaten Rudi Garcia’s side in their last five meetings, dating back to the 2016 European Championships.
Player Focus: Marcus Rashford
Tuchel has raised more than a few eyebrows with his squad selection for this month’s internationals, with the likes of Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Adam Wharton and Jack Grealish all omitted from the Three Lions pack.
Harry Kane has been in sensational form this season, already on 18 goals and three assists in just 10 matches for Bayern Munich across all competitions, while he also has four goals in five games for England in their World Cup qualifiers.
However, the Three Lions’ skipper sustained an ankle injury ahead of the international break, and reports suggest that he may not be risked for this match. Kane’s absence could open the door for Marcus Rashford to step back into the spotlight!
Rashford has looked like a player reborn since joining Barcelona on loan during the summer and has silenced doubts over his form by producing eight direct goal contributions in his last seven matches for the Catalan giants. He is currently showing up at odds of 1.83 to score anytime with most of the best online betting sites.
The 27-year-old attacker came off the bench to score in England’s 5-0 demolition of Serbia in their World Cup qualifier last month, and he also bagged a stunning brace when he last faced Wales at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
