Thomas Tuchel kicked off his tenure as England manager with a professional if slightly dull 2-0 victory over Albania at Wembley on Friday night.
Myles Lewis-Skelly scored his first international goal on his senior debut while Harry Kane extended his record tally to 70 goals for the national team.
Despite the win, England’s performance was very reminiscent of the Gareth Southgate era with controlled possession, slow build-up and a lack of runners in the wide areas. Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden took on the latter roles and Tuchel has explained ‘what more he wants’ as he seeks to bring Premier League intensity to the international game.
Anthony Gordon has withdrawn from the squad after picking up a hip injury against Albania and there may be changes to the starting XI with the likes of Jordan Henderson and Marc Guehi brought into the team.
Follow all the updates and action with our live blog below as England face Latvia at Wembley:
England vs Latvia LIVE
- England host Latvia in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers with kick off at 7.45pm, live on ITV1
- Three Lions won opening match of Thomas Tuchel's reign 2-0 against Albania on Friday
- Changes are expected with Jordan Henderson and Marc Guehi potentially brought into starting line-up
England team news
18:33 , Luke BakerHere’s the England team to take on Latvia tonight with Morgan Rogers and Reece James among the players coming in
Tonight's #ThreeLions vs Latvia! 🦁 pic.twitter.com/WCsKCADpCh
— England (@England) March 24, 2025
England v Latvia talking points - First meeting with Latvia
18:24 , Luke BakerThis is England's first ever meeting with Latvia, who are ranked 140th in the world.
They also got their Group K campaign off to a winning start as they edged past minnows Andorra 1-0 but they are not expected to be in contention to qualify for next summer's World Cup.
Defender Daniels Balodis is perhaps the most recognisable name in their squad, at least north of the border, as he plays for Scottish Premiership side St Johnstone.
England are unbeaten in their last 32 World Cup qualifiers, which is the longest run of any European nation and it would be a big surprise if that run ended against the Baltic nation.
England v Latvia talking points - Tighten grip on qualification
18:13 , Luke BakerIt may only be the second of eight qualifying games but victory would put England in a dominant position in Group K.
Serbia are England's main threat but they are in Nations League action during this international window so Tuchel's side can get a big head start.
Two wins from two would put England in a strong position going into June's qualifier against Andorra before September's crunch game in Belgrade.
England v Latvia talking points - Rotation policy
18:03 , Luke BakerTuchel is ready to rotate against Latvia as the new England boss looks to juggle tired legs and make the most of his limited opportunities with the players.
The German could make a host of changes across the pitch as he explores combinations and options.
The attacking areas are likely to be rotated, with Foden and Marcus Rashford's place in danger after under-whelming performances against Albania, with Jarrod Bowen and Morgan Rogers among those waiting for their chance.
England v Latvia talking points - How to solve a problem like Phil?
17:48 , Luke BakerPhil Foden came under the spotlight for his performance against Albania as he was ineffective out on the right.
Pundit Roy Keane suggested Foden will be lucky to keep the shirt as the 24-year-old continually struggles to find the level he reaches with club Manchester City at international level.
Tuchel wants Foden to be more direct, saying: "We will encourage him to do what he does best - to go at defenders, to go into dribbles.
"We played him from the from the right wing. I think both of our wingers who started were not as impactful as they normally can be, as they are normally in club football."
England v Latvia talking points - Tuchel wants more
17:32 , Luke BakerEngland won their first match under Thomas Tuchel when they beat Albania in comfortable but unspectacular style on Friday and Tuchel was left wanting more.
He promised a high-octane Premier League style but there were familiar difficulties in breaking down a team with 11 men behind the ball.
The German will expect his side to move the ball quicker and be more aggressive as they begin to get used to his demands.
He said: “We will understand better now, I will understand the players better, so where do they feel confident? Where do we struggle? Why is it for us hard to find more runs and to find more aggressive movements into the very last third?”
Everything you need to know about England v Latvia
17:21 , Luke BakerThomas Tuchel will look to build on his first match in charge as England face Latvia in their second World Cup 2026 qualifier.
The Three Lions cruised to a 2-0 win over Albania on Friday in Tuchel’s first outing as England boss, with goals from Myles Lewis-Skelly and Harry Kane propelling the German to a victorious start.
They now face Latvia in what is a top of the table clash in Group K, after the visitors beat Andorra 1-0 in the qualifying opener.
England go into the contest as heavy favourites and will be eager to make it a straightforward assignment under the Wembley lights.
Here’s everything you need to know:
Is England v Latvia on TV? Kick-off time, TV channel and how to watch
Thomas Tuchel has ‘fallen in love’ with ‘fearless’ England star after record-breaking debut
17:00 , Mike JonesThomas Tuchel said he has already “fallen in love” with Myles Lewis-Skelly after his record-breaking England debut.
The 18-year-old became the youngest player to score on his senior England debut as he netted the first goal under Tuchel in the 2-0 win over Albania at Wembley.
The Arsenal full-back, who only broke into Mikel Arteta’s first team this season, converted Jude Bellingham’s excellent pass and Tuchel as impressed with his performance and impact.
Thomas Tuchel has ‘fallen in love’ with England star after record-breaking debut
Early team news for Latvia
16:52 , Mike JonesLatvia have no new injury concerns, with any changes during the Andorra win appearing purely tactical.
Deniss Melinks was taken off at half-time for the more attacking Dario Sits, who scored the winner last week.
Sits may have proved his case to start against England, but expect a well-rested Melinks to keep his place in the starting XI, with defensive resilience sure to be of paramount importance for the visitors.
PredictedLatvia XI: Zviedris; Jurkovskis, Balodis, Cernomordijs; Savalnieks, Melniks, Savaljevs, Ciganiks; Zelenkovs, Ikaunieks; Sits
England early team news
16:45 , Mike JonesAnthony Gordan has withdrawn from the squad after limping off with a hip injury towards the end of England’s 2-0 win over Albania last Friday.
Morgan Gibbs-White could be in line to step in for Gordan, who didn’t feature in Tuchel’s matchday squad on Friday.
Expect wholesale changes to Tuchel’s starting XI as he works out his favoured team, which could see the likes of James Trafford, Reece James, Jordan Henderson and Jarrod Bowen feature.
Predicted England XI: Trafford; James, Colwill, Guehi, Livramento; Rice, Henderson; Bowen, Bellingham, Rodgers; Kane
Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham plan reveals England direction under Thomas Tuchel
16:30 , Mike JonesA first game that was encouraging rather than electrifying, with most of the new excitement offered by Myles Lewis-Skelly rather than any sense of a new era. Thomas Tuchel’s week culminated in the teenager’s night, as he became England football team’s youngest ever debutant goalscorer in this professional 2-0 win over Albania.
You wouldn’t have guessed Lewis-Skelly was a mere 18 years and 176 days – or at least you wouldn’t if you hadn’t seen Arsenal this season – with the way he confidently drove up the line.
Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham plan reveals England direction under Thomas Tuchel
England's rising star
16:23 , Mike JonesJude Bellingham has played 41 times for England, the most caps ever won for the Three Lions while aged 21 or younger.
He’s been directly involved in eleven goals (five goals, six assists) in his last 16 games and could either score or assist in three consecutive matches for the first time.
Thomas Tuchel promises to take hard line in club vs country row over England players
16:00 , Mike JonesThomas Tuchel has warned that club managers can expect no favours when it comes to rests and team selections as his England side push for World Cup victory, but that all choices will be “responsible”.
The national team are in a strange situation this week, as they face two World Cup qualifiers in the space of 72 hours, which goes against Fifa’s own recommendations. Monday’s match at home to Latvia starts at 7.45pm, less than a full three days after Friday’s 2-0 win over Albania ended.
This intense schedule was put to Tuchel, and whether it might influence his decisions given the period is also when a long club season gets to the business end.
Thomas Tuchel promises to take hard line in club vs country row over England players
Tuchel on what he's expecting from Latvia
15:52 , Mike JonesThe England boss said: “I think we are clear favourites in the next match. I think it will be difficult to predict exactly what Latvia is doing.
“We are right now watching clips from their match against Andorra, we’re watching clips from North Macedonia and we’re watching clips from the Faroe Islands.
“They’re facing a new level of opponent with us. I think we need mentally to adapt to that kind of role than try to implement our structure on the ball and have a good mix of, ‘what does it make sense to change our structure to make life easier for our players to defend and have high ball wins?’
“This is the question that we have to answer – how much we can predict.”
Tuchel bringing the blunt honesty Southgate lacked in pursuit of England glory
15:30 , Mike JonesFor all the headlines that Thomas Tuchel’s comments about Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden caused on Friday, the new England manager admitted he was “surprised” at the furore. He didn’t even see it as criticism, which may be where one of the biggest shifts with the 51-year-old comes.
“I just give my analysis of the team,” Tuchel blankly stated. “Sometimes I am surprised with what people try to make out of it, that Marcus and Phil should be offended with what I said.”
Declan Rice echoed his manager, saying he would rather have that “kick up the arse”. “This is top-level international football,” the midfielder added.
Tuchel bringing the blunt honesty Southgate lacked in pursuit of England glory
Thomas Tuchel explains tactical dilemmas that will define his England tenure
15:00 , Mike JonesIf Friday night’s 2-0 win over Albania felt like Gareth Southgate revisited rather than Thomas Tuchel’s new era, Declan Rice simply puts it down to time.
There was a mere three days the squad had together before the match and only a few occasions Albania were willing to come out of their area, let alone their half.
But Rice insists the time together so far has been sufficient to get a sense of a brand new England football team to come, even if they’re not the finished product just yet.
Thomas Tuchel explains tactical dilemmas that will define his England tenure
The Myles Lewis-Skelly moment that showed what England need under Thomas Tuchel
13:15 , Mike JonesOn the eve of Thomas Tuchel’s first England game, he insisted we “can be sure” if he says something in the press he has already told his players, so the wonder is how blunt he was in the dressing room after this 2-0 win over Albania. The new manager didn’t seem all that impressed with any of it, except Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Tuchel went into surprisingly specific detail about why he didn’t think the performance was especially good, and why the attack didn’t work. This is the other side of a manager who has been praised over the last week for his openness and humour. It is complemented by a striking bluntness.
The Myles Lewis-Skelly moment that showed what England need under Thomas Tuchel
Henderson can push players to the max
13:00 , Mike JonesJordan Henderson’s inclusion in Thomas Tuchel’s squad raised eyebrows but the noise from the camp is very positive over the midfielder.
The former Liverpool captain is a leader and hard worker who pushes players to perform and train at their best.
“Henderson’s one of the best I have seen,” Declan Rice said.
“I love Hendo, I love playing with him. He helps you so much. It’s about pushing each other to the max to get the most out of each other.
“You only get one career and we’ve already lost two finals. We are all getting older.”
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