England became the first European national team to secure a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday. They did so with a dominant 5-0 away win over Latvia, with Harry Kane starring once again.
Thomas Tuchel’s squad locked up the top spot in Group K of the World Cup qualifiers with a flawless campaign—winning all six of their matches and collecting 18 points, seven clear of second-place Albania, their closest challengers.
With this result, England have now secured their eighth consecutive World Cup appearance. They have qualified for every edition of the tournament since 1998. The last time they failed to make it was in 1994, when the tournament was held in the United States. Fittingly, they’ll now travel to North America with a new opportunity to compete on the global stage.
Ahead of the 1994 edition, the Three Lions finished third in Europe’s Group 2 behind Norway and the Netherlands, missing out on the tournament for the first time in 16 years. However, the World Cup’s expanded format—from 24 to 32 teams—greatly improved England’s qualification prospects in the years that followed, and they’ve made every edition since.
Thomas Tuchel, Manager of England.
How many World Cups have England missed?
England are tied with France as the sixth-most frequent participants in World Cup history, each with 16 appearances. The top five includes Brazil (22— the only country to have played in every edition), Germany (20), Argentina and Italy (18 each), and Mexico (17).
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Prior to 1994, the Three Lions missed two straight tournaments in 1974 and 1978 after failing to qualify. Add to that the first three editions of the World Cup—1930, 1934, and 1938—which they skipped entirely. At the time, the English Football Association was not part of FIFA and declined invitations in favor of domestic competitions.
Harry Kane leads England’s World Cup hopes
With their spot in the 2026 World Cup now secured, England fans once again dare to dream. Since lifting the trophy on home soil in 1966, the national team has not won another major tournament and has never returned to a World Cup final.
Their best finishes since then were semifinal appearances in 1990 and 2018. But now, Thomas Tuchel has a squad full of world-class talent, led by Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Marcus Rashford, and Declan Rice—players who have all proven themselves at the club level. The challenge now is to translate that individual brilliance into international success.
