England vs Latvia: 2026 World Cup Qualifier Preview
England’s second game in the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign takes place on Monday night as they face Latvia for the first time ever. The Three Lions started their qualifying journey impressively under new manager Thomas Tuchel, securing a controlled 2-0 win over Albania on Friday. Tuchel, however, emphasized that his team has more to offer, hinting at further improvements.
Despite not thrilling fans against a defensively deep Albania, England displayed the cohesion of a club side, with signs of promise that bode well for the future. Latvia, ranked 140th in the world, began their campaign with a narrow 1-0 victory over Andorra (171st-ranked). Led by former Italy U21 coach Paolo Nicolato, Latvia will relish the opportunity to play at Wembley, regardless of the result.
Head-to-Head Record
This marks the first-ever meeting between England and Latvia.
Current Form (All Competitions)
| England | Latvia |
|---|---|
| England 2-0 Albania | Andorra 0-1 Latvia |
| England 5-0 Ireland | Latvia 1-2 Armenia |
| Greece 0-3 England | North Macedonia 1-0 Latvia |
| Finland 1-3 England | Faroe Islands 1-1 Latvia |
| England 1-2 Greece | Latvia 0-3 North Macedonia |
How to Watch
| Country | TV Channel/Live Stream |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | ITV 1, ITVX, STV, STV Player, UTV |
| United States | fuboTV, Foxsports.com, ViX, FOX Sports App, Fox Sports 2 |
| Canada | DAZN Canada |
Team News
Tuchel criticized England’s starting wingers after the Albania match, but Anthony Gordon’s hip injury has ruled him out of the squad. Marcus Rashford is expected to retain his place on the left, while Jarrod Bowen could replace Phil Foden on the right.
Tuchel is likely to rotate his squad, giving opportunities to players like Dean Henderson, Marc Guehi, Levi Colwill, and Dominic Solanke, who didn’t feature on Friday.
England Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1): Henderson; James, Guehi, Colwill, Lewis-Skelly; Jones, Rice; Bowen, Bellingham, Rashford; Kane.
Latvia Team News
Latvia’s squad is largely composed of players from lower-tier European leagues. They have no fresh injury concerns after their win over Andorra, though Deniss Melniks was withdrawn at half-time for tactical reasons.
Latvia Predicted Lineup (4-3-3): Zviedris; Jurkovskis, Balodis, Cernomordijs; Savalnieks, Melniks, Savaljevs, Ciganiks; Zelenkovs, Ikaunieks; Gutkovskis.
Prediction
Latvia is expected to adopt a compact defensive approach, but England demonstrated their ability to break down such setups against Albania. With a star-studded squad and Tuchel’s tactical expertise, England should dominate the game and secure a comfortable victory.
Final Score Prediction: England 5-0 Latvia
