World Cup 2026: England Set to Complete the Job in Latvia

Latvia vs England

Thomas Tuchel’s England heads to Riga on Tuesday with a simple aim… to qualify for the World Cup 2026 finals. 

After beating Albania in their opener the Three Lions went on the see off Latvia 3-0 and have since won another three games to sit comfortably at the top of Group K, four points ahead of Albania with a game in hand. Andorra and Serbia are also in action on Tuesday night but if the Three Lions win World Cup: Latvia vs England… then they will be uncatchable. 

Paulo Nicolato’s Latvia were held to a 2-2 draw on Saturday at home to the minnows from Andorra and they sit in fourth place in the group and with very little chance of even making a play-off place. The Latvia vs England betting odds say the hosts are on to a hiding on Tuesday, but the vast majority of the 10,000 fans in the tight stadium in Riga will make it as uncomfortable for their visitors as is humanly possible.     

 

Talking Points

Latvia’s impossible dream

With just one win in their qualification campaign, a 1-0 victory over Andorra in their opening game, Nicolato’s men have stumbled through the next five games, picking up two draws, including a 1-1 stalemate at home to Albania, and three defeats. When Andorra headed to Latvia on Saturday they did so having lost all five of their qualification games and they managed to pick up their first point, even finishing with ten men after Joel Guillen had been sent off. 

The result left Latvia six points behind Albania in second and in need of a miracle, two wins, including a victory over England on Tuesday with no more than a three per cent chance of pulling it off. The hosts will still be without striker Roberts Uldrikis and so Nicolato will pick two from Atletico Madrid B star Dario Sits, and the experienced pair of 30 year olds, Janis Ikaunieks and Vladislavs Gutkovkis, who scored Latvia’s second goal against Andorra.

They do need a win but I doubt these strikers will get much change from the England defence, yet to be breached in their five games so far.       

 

Kane back for England

The Latvia vs England news emerging from the visitors’ camp, and not the news their hosts wanted to hear, is that Three Lions talisman and top scorer Harry Kane will be fit to take part in Riga. He missed a friendly game last week as Tuchel’s men blew Wales apart with goals from Bukayo Saka, Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins. It was a decent workout for England, who will qualify on Tuesday thanks to Serbia’s loss to Albania on Saturday.

Kane sat out the win over Wales as he has recently recovered from an ankle injury, and neither Tuchel, nor his club manager Vincent Kompany wanted him to play in a friendly game. Kane’s scoring exploits for FC Bayern are little short of amazing; he has already scored 11 goals in the Bundesliga season and is six clear of the chasing pack, and he has recently become the fastest player in European football this century, to reach 100 goals at his new club.

I suspect Kane will start this game as Tuchel will be keen to get his team over the line without delay. I also think one of Aston Villa’s stars, Watkins or Rogers, will step aside; and there is a choice to be made between Marcus Rashford, rejuvenated at Barcelona, and Anthony Gordon, with Bukayo Saka sure to keep his place.      

 

History

World Cup winners in 1966, England are close to earning their 17^th appearance at the finals and they are one of a group of favourites with a genuine chance of lifting the trophy.   

Latvia are yet to qualify for the World Cup final but they did reach the Euros in 2004.

There is a stark contrast in terms of recent form too; while Latvia have lost three and drawn three of their last six outings, England have won five and lost just once, a friendly at home to Senegal in June.   

And Latvia have a poor record against the top sides in the world; not a surprise but the figures are very dispiriting for the hosts. They have lost 14 consecutive games against the world’s top ten nations.

 

Betting Tip

England are red hot favourites to win this clash at SBOTOP odds of 1.09, with Latvia at 40.00 and the Draw at 14.00, and I can’t see any other outcome than a Three Lions triumph. But I don’t see a shellacking for Latvia; England have only scored more than three goals once in their first five games.   

   

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