Squad Evaluations: England Secure a Spot for 2026 World Cup

The national team earned their place at the 2026 World Cup with a comfortable triumph over the Baltic side on Tuesday evening.

First Eleven Performance

• The goalkeeper – Made a couple of excellent stops in the latter period to preserve his remarkable clean sheet streak. It's now nine in a row. 6.5
• Djed Spence – Seems at home in international football seamlessly. Sterner tests lie ahead, of course, but a good start to his England career. 7
• The defender – Two matches in five days will do the City defender a lot of good. Still one of the key players on the starting lineup, fitness permitting. 7
• The centre-back – Chosen ahead of Marc Guehi and performed solidly. Made an superb last-ditch recovery tackle in the closing period to boot. 7
• The young defender – Looked a slightly ring rusty at times, expected given his scarce minutes at Arsenal. An intriguing few months ahead. 6
• The midfielder – Appears undroppable in this England team at the moment. Appears tailored for this level and has developed an strong partnership with Rice. 7
• Arsenal's engine – Excelling in his attacking role. The pillar of England's midfield is showing his attacking abilities now. Becoming a real all-round midfielder. 7
• Morgan Rogers – Less influential as he has been in England's successes over previous opponents. It will be revealed next month who is the true owner of the number 10 shirt. 6
• Bukayo Saka – Provided an key pass to his brilliant goal against Wales last Thursday. Will be vital to England's chances next summer. 7.5
• Harry Kane – In the form of his life. Increased his tally for the season to 20 scores. Has scored 76 times for his country. Will he achieve 100? 8
• The forward – Sharp finish to open the scoring for England here in the Latvian capital. Has acquitted himself well during this break. 7.5

The Bench Players

• The experienced midfielder (for Rice 60) – Maintained the tempo in midfield. 6
• Eberechi Eze (for Rogers 60) – Well-executed goal and a menace. 7
• Jarrod Bowen (for Saka 60) – Battles on his hands to make the squad when the squad is full. 6
• Dan Burn (for Stones 71) – Typically, dealt with everything aerially. 6
• Marcus Rashford (for Gordon 71) – One pacy run down the left caught the eye. 6

With qualification secured, the team can now turn their attention for the upcoming tournament with optimism.