England claimed a 2-0 victory over Albania in their first Group K qualifying fixture for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, thanks to a composed first-half effort from debutant Myles Lewis-Skelly and a late strike from captain Harry Kane.
Handed his first call-up by new boss Thomas Tuchel, Lewis-Skelly became the youngest player to score on their senior England debut at just 18 years and 176 days old.
With Albania buoyed by the introduction of fresh legs late in the second half, the _Shqiperi_ looked the likeliest to find the second goal of the evening and claim an impressive draw against the _Three Lions_ – but Kane had other ideas, curling a tidy finish into the far corner with just over ten minutes remaining.
England will welcome Latvia to Wembley Stadium on Monday, 24 March for the second match of this international window.
The Thomas Tuchel era started with signs of promise from England in front of a sold-out Wembley crowd, with a plethora of chances for the hosts to snatch an early lead inside the opening quarter of an hour. The _Three Lions_’ left flank looked bright, with Marcus Rashford and Jude Bellingham combining nicely throughout the opening stage – but neither of the duo would find the opener.
That privilege fell instead to Myles Lewis-Skelly, the 18-year-old Arsenal talent making his senior England debut. Fending off pressure from Jasir Asani inside the box, the youngster slotted through the legs of Thomas Strakosha with a remarkable composure for his age, becoming the youngest player in history to score on his senior _Three Lions_ debut.
(Photo by Alex Pantling – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
But Tuchel’s England continued to push forward in search of a second goal against a side that has impressed on the European stage in recent years, and Tuesday’s hosts came agonisingly close to finding it through Bellingham shortly after the half-hour mark. Fed through into a dangerous area by Rashford, the Real Madrid maestro saw a tight-angled shot denied by Strakosha.
The chances continued to flow right up until the break, with England denied twice in the space of mere seconds as a Kieran Trippier cross was turned goalwards by Bellingham before being denied by Strakosha, and Kane’s attempt to smash home the rebound was deflected over the crossbar. Dan Burn found himself just inches away from joining fellow debutant Lewis-Skelly on the scoresheet as he rattled a header against the woodwork following a teasing corner delivery from Declan Rice, too.
The second half, by comparison, was stale at best. It took England 15 minutes to force the first real opportunity: a header sent well wide of goal by Kane, following a teasing cross in from Bellingham on the left. Changes were needed, but it was Sylvinho who made the first move, introducing Everton’s Armando Broja with 63 minutes on the clock. It was a substitution that looked to have the desired effect almost immediately, with the forward finding himself in a dangerous position twice inside the first five minutes of his cameo appearance.
Had it not been for a sublime last-ditch challenge from Ezri Konsa to halt Asani, England would have found themselves back on level pegging by the time Tuchel’s three substitutes were permitted to enter the field of play. Albania had grown comfortable – but it was a moment of individual excellence from Kane that not only kept England’s advantage intact, but doubled it with just over ten minutes left to play. A dinked ball from Rice found the Bayern Munich striker in space on the far side of the box, with the 31-year-old taking a touch and time to turn before curling through a sea of onrushing defenders – and Strakosha – into the far bottom corner.
(Photo by Alex Pantling – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
England claim the top spot in Group K after Matchday 1, with the _Three Lions_ set to face Latvia – who also picked up three points against Andorra – on Monday, 24 March at Wembley Stadium.
**ENG:** Pickford; Lewis-Skelly, Burn, Konsa, Walker; Jones, Rice; Rashford, Bellingham, Foden; Kane
**ALB:** Strakosha; Aliji, Djimsiti, Ajeti, Balliu; Asllani, Ramadani, Laci; Bajrami, Uzuni, Asani