England extended their impeccable record in the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign on Thursday by defeating Serbia 2-0 at Wembley.
Eberechi Eze came off the bench to curl in a fantastic late finish and secure a seventh consecutive victory after Bukayo Saka opened the score with a sharp volley at the half-hour mark.
England established their dominance early in the encounter and forced Serbia to defend deep for extended periods of time, following a well-known pattern in this qualifying campaign.
With the exception of sporadic counterattacks, England’s defence was largely unimpeded by Serbia’s inability to mount consistent attacks thanks to Harry Kane’s movement, Saka’s swiftness, and Declan Rice’s control.
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Additionally noteworthy was England’s clean sheet, which increased their record to seven games without conceding—already a remarkable accomplishment in UEFA World Cup qualifying.
Jordan Pickford’s astute positioning and Ezri Konsa and John Stones’ outstanding recovery defending prevented Serbia from taking advantage of a few half-chances.
History Beckons For England
With the victory, England got closer to making history in an eight-match European qualification group.
With the win, England is on the verge of an extraordinary defensive milestone that would highlight Tuchel’s transformative influence since taking over.
According to Goal, the Three Lions would become the first European country to finish an eight-game World Cup qualifying campaign without allowing a goal if they don’t concede in their last qualifier against Albania.
It would even beat the legendary England team of 1990, which finished six games without conceding.
England’s qualifying campaign has demonstrated the depth and discipline needed to succeed under Tuchel’s strict guidelines, even beyond the clean sheet run.
With the help of a defensive line that has maintained composure under pressure and excelled at denying opponents high-value opportunities, Pickford has now kept 10 successive competitive clean sheets.
Rice, Konsa, and Stones have all been instrumental in maintaining England’s perfect defensive record.
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