England 2 – 0 Albania
England had to be patient, but they eventually cruised to a 2-0 victory to kick off Thomas Tuchel’s reign and their World Cup qualifying campaign.
Is it too soon to declare that football’s coming home? Absolutely. But Thomas Tuchel’s journey toward 2026 World Cup glory got off to a winning start as England secured a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Albania at Wembley on Friday night. Teenage debutant Myles Lewis-Skelly stole the headlines with a memorable first goal.
It took just 20 minutes for the Arsenal left-back to make history, becoming England’s youngest-ever debut scorer. Latching onto a perfectly threaded Jude Bellingham through ball, the 18-year-old calmly slid the ball between goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha’s legs, sending Wembley into raptures.
Tuchel’s side had chances to extend their lead before halftime. Harry Kane was denied by an incredible block after Bellingham’s initial effort was saved at point-blank range, and fellow debutant Dan Burn rattled the crossbar with a towering header.
The second half proved scrappier as Albania posed more of a threat on the counterattack. But with 13 minutes left, Kane calmed any nerves, expertly controlling a lofted pass before guiding the ball into the bottom corner — his 70th goal for England.
Lewis-Skelly’s impact was the perfect start to Tuchel’s tenure. Handed his first cap alongside Burn, the youngster repaid the manager’s faith in just 20 minutes. His rise has been rapid — having made his first Premier League start only in December — but his performance at Wembley proved why he caught Tuchel’s eye.
Burn came close to a fairytale debut himself. Just days after scoring Newcastle’s opener in their League Cup final win over Liverpool at Wembley, he once again found the crossbar, this time with a header from a Declan Rice corner.
Tuchel’s decision to recall Marcus Rashford was another talking point. Making his first England appearance in a year, Rashford was quiet for most of the game, struggling to leave his mark.
England dominated possession with 437 passes in the first half — the highest ever recorded by Opta in any first half — though much of it was in front of Albania’s deep defensive line. The visitors did threaten on occasion, with Burn nearly scoring an own goal when his clearing header landed on top of the crossbar.
Albania pushed harder after the break, with their passionate fans raising the noise as they sought a way back. But Kane’s late goal put the result beyond doubt.
England now turn their attention to Monday, where they face Latvia at Wembley in their second qualifier. Meanwhile, Albania will host group outsiders Andorra.
For Tuchel and England, it’s a winning start — but there’s plenty to ponder as they continue their quest for a first major trophy since 1966.
