World Cup qualifiers - Records Still on the Line as England Welcome Serbia at Wembley on Matchday 9.
by Thobelani Moyo | by Cydias Aujard
England have a point to prove and a reputation to uphold
Many would argue that England have nothing to play for after booking their ticket to the 2026 World Cup - their eighth consecutive appearance - with a 5-0 routing of Latvia in the qualifiers last month. However, that's far from the case as the one-time World Champions have a 100% record to uphold in this competition.
The Three Lions' success in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers has been built around a watertight defense and an efficient offense. In Group K, however, they boast the best offense, but when it comes to the competition as a whole, they are tied in sixth place with Italy in this department.
Three teams have yet to concede a goal, and Thomas Tuchel's men are also in that bracket. Currently, they have maintained six shutouts within the qualifying campaign. That record stretches to ten when you include games outside the competition, and it has been marked down on paper as their longest run of consecutive clean sheets.
Is Thomas Tuchel carrying England to glory or failure?
It has been 1 year and 28 days since the news broke out that Thomas Tuchel was going to succeed Gareth Southgate. However, it wasn't until January 1, 2025, that he assumed the role officially as head coach.
The master operators behind the English Football Association (FA) are all smiles wherever they are. This has been the best decision they've made so far, despite the primary goal of winning the World Cup yet to be accomplished.
Tuchel, who has extensive experience as a head coach and has been in this field for the past 18 years, has been the light at the end of the tunnel for the England senior national team as they dream of a first World Cup since 1965.
Presently, the 52-year-old gaffer has managed eight games since taking over and has an impressive 87.5% win ratio. He has a better record than Gareth Southgate at this stage, but there's still a lot of work to do if he is to surpass the renowned coach.
Let's compare the stats between Tuchel and Southgate in eight games across all competitions:
| Thomas Tuchel | Category | Gareth Southgate |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Matches managed | 8 |
| 7 | Wins | 3 |
| 1 | Losses | 2 |
| 0 | Draws | 3 |
| 22 | Goals scored | 13 |
| 3 | Goals conceded | 8 |
As you can see from the table above, the numbers speak for themselves, and that should be an indication that Thomas Tuchel at the moment is the right fit.
Serbia's qualification hopes hang by a thread as they attempt a last push
Serbia has two games remaining in their bid to secure a runners-up spot in Group K of the FIFA World Cup European qualifiers. Ten points have been amassed in their last six games, and this sees them occupying third place and one point behind second-placed Albania.
After suffering a shocking 1-0 home defeat to Albania in the qualifiers on October 11th, Dragan Stojkovic wasted no time in handing in his resignation after that setback.
There's a new sheriff in town, though, and that's Veljko Paunovic, who recently guided Real Oviedo to La Liga promotion, ending a 24-year absence. He has also managed Serbia Under-20, winning the World Cup with them ten years ago.
Paunovic is now tasked with leading the senior national team to the 2026 World Cup, and a possible route of doing so is through securing the second spot, which can be achievable if results elsewhere go their way.
Serbia are playing in their first away game against England as an independent nation.
A trip to Wembley in his first game in charge won't be child's play, considering their struggles in this fixture. Our Sportytrader betting experts don't think they'll be able to cause an upset in our England vs Serbia prediction, which is why they expect a one-sided affair.
England squad vs Serbia: Who's made the final cut?
Thomas Tuchel has named a 25-man squad for the remaining two FIFA World Cup European qualifiers fixtures. This includes Marcus Rashford, who has once again been included thanks to his terrific performance for Barcelona this season. Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham, Brentford's Jordan Henderson, and Manchester City's Phil Foden have also been recalled. The Newcastle United trio of Nick Pope, Anthony Gordon, and Tino Livramento have not been included due to injuries.
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), James Trafford (Manchester City), Jordan Pickford (Everton).
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle United), Trevoh Chalobah (Chelsea), Marc Guéhi (Crystal Palace), Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Nico O'Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur), John Stones (Manchester City).
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Alex Scott (AFC Bournemouth), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace).
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona, loan from Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal).
