England secured their spot in next year’s World Cup finals as captain Harry Kane netted twice in a 5-0 victory over Latvia on Tuesday, clinching the top position in qualifying Group K.
Throughout the campaign, England’s qualification for a ninth consecutive major tournament seemed certain, but now they can officially finalize their preparations.
In the Daugava Stadium, England took 25 minutes to break the stalemate, with Anthony Gordon cutting in from the left to score past Latvian goalkeeper Krisjanis Zviedris.
Ranked 137th by FIFA, the hosts were punished twice just before halftime. Kane scored after intercepting a defensive error and converted a penalty when fouled in the box.
In the 57th minute, Maksims Tonisevs scored an own goal from Djed Spence’s cross, and substitute Eberechi Eze completed the dominant performance with a well-taken fifth goal.
England leads with a perfect 18 points from six matches, while Albania trails with 11 points.
