England lit up Belgrade with a ruthless 5-0 win over Serbia, a result coach Thomas Tuchel called the benchmark for their World Cup campaign.
Harry Kane, Noni Madueke, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi and Marcus Rash ford all found the net in a dominant display that put England on the brink of qualification. The Three Lions top Group K with five straight wins, 13 goals scored and none conceded. They need just five more points from their last three games to secure a spot at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The victory was Tuchel’s most convincing performance since taking over from Gareth Southgate. He has faced criticism for England’s slow start under his leadership, including a dull 2-0 win over Andorra last week.
“Today is a statement victory against a tough opponent in a tough place,” Tuchel said. “It was teamwork in its purest form. The players did amazing. That’s the bar.”
Tuchel said the team has only had three weeks of training together, but their intensity and energy in Belgrade showed clear progress. He praised the defense for shutting Serbia out completely, keeping them to zero shots on target.
England captain Kane, who scored his 74th international goal, said the performance was exactly what they had planned. “We wanted to play on the front foot and be aggressive, and we showed that tonight,” he said. “Serbia are a good team, but we made them look average.”
Kane also pushed back on criticism of England’s earlier games. “We felt we had a good performance a few days ago. Maybe it wasn’t exciting for everyone, but we did the job. Tonight we showed another level.”
With Tuchel aiming to deliver England’s first major trophy since the 1966 World Cup, the demolition of Serbia was a clear signal that the squad is beginning to click.
