England 2-0 Albania: Tuchel Starts Strong

Thomas Tuchel’s reign as England manager began on a winning note as the Three Lions secured a 2-0 victory over Albania at Wembley on Friday, March 21, in their opening World Cup European Qualifier. Goals from debutant Myles Lewis-Skelly and captain Harry Kane ensured a strong start to England’s qualification campaign.

England wasted no time asserting dominance, and it was 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly who stole the headlines with a composed finish in the 20th minute. The Arsenal youngster, making his senior international debut, became England’s youngest-ever goalscoring debutant, slotting home calmly after a well-worked team move.

Harry Kane sealed the victory in the second half, converting from close range after excellent buildup play from Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka. The goal marked another milestone in Kane’s illustrious England career as he continues to climb the all-time scoring charts.

With three points secured, England face Latvia in their second World Cup 2026 qualifier.

England manager Thomas Tuchel heaped praise on Myles Lewis-Skelly after the 18-year-old scored on his debut.

''Amazing player. Amazing personality. He came into camp and showed straight away that it's normal to fall in love with him. It is well deserved. He was amazing in camp and is full of confidence. Full of humour and such an honest and open character.''

''It was exciting. A bit nervous before. It was a fantastic evening, perfect evening and temperature to play football. We had a good week ahead of the match and a great experience. We wanted to increase the rhythm and the risks in the second half, have one more player in the defensive line. But we were not disciplined enough in the structure. It slowed our game down, not so well organised to control counter-attacks. The second goal, the game was over.

"It's a difficult opponent, unorthodox style. We saw them in the form of the Euros, where Spain, Croatia and Italy struggled in the group stage. We saw this opponent today. Hopefully, it gives us confidence to get better."