England qualify for 2026 World Cup after 5-0 win

LONDON (AP):

England became the first country from Europe to qualify for the 2026 World Cup yesterday but Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal will have to wait after conceding a stoppage-time equaliser against Hungary.

England won 5-0 at Latvia, with captain Harry Kane scoring twice in the first half, to assure first place in their group with two matches to spare. The English, who will be appearing at an eighth straight World Cup, haven't conceded a goal in six matches in qualifying so far under German coach Thomas Tuchel.

"Sometimes we make it look easy," said Kane, who already has a total of 21 goals for England and Bayern Munich this season, "but these groups and games can be tough. ... We talk about high standards no matter who we play against to keep the momentum, and that showed."

Portugal looked set to join England in next year's tournament in North America after two goals from the 40-year-old Ronaldo established a 2-1 lead over Hungary in Lisbon. A win would have guaranteed Portugal a first-place finish but Dominik Szoboszlai made it 2-2 in the first minute of added-on time to leave second-place Hungary five points back with two games left.

Ronaldo at least left the match with another scoring record. He now has 41 goals in World Cup qualifiers, breaking a tie for 39 he had with Guatemala player Carlos Ruiz.

Italy, who have failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, guaranteed themselves at least a place in the playoffs after beating Israel 3-0 in a match laced with tension, played amid a hefty police and military presence, and preceded by a pro-Palestinian march attended by an estimated 10,000 people.

The match was placed in the highest risk category despite a breakthrough ceasefire deal that has paused two years of war in Gaza.

The second-placed Azzurri moved three points behind Norway, who have a much healthier goal difference. Both teams have two matches left next month, including a game against each other in Italy in the final round of qualifiers.

Spain stayed top of their group, three points clear of Turkey, by beating Bulgaria 4-0 to maintain its 100% start to the qualifying campaign.

Turkey also won, 4-1 at home to Georgia, and at least looks set for the spot in the playoffs.

TUCHEL IMPRESSING

Tuchel is putting his own stamp on the England team - and might potentially be winning over some critics who wanted an English person in charge of the national team.

He has made some big calls, like leaving out high-profile players like Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden from the squad and taking on England's fans for being too quiet in the last match, but is getting some impressive results - albeit against mediocre opposition.

If the 5-0 win in Serbia last month was the statement result in Tuchel's tenure so far, this latest thrashing was another sign of the assuredness and ruthlessness in the team. Anthony Gordon opened the scoring, Kane added two more in the first half, and there was an own-goal as well as a strike from substitute Eberechi Eze after halftime.

"Brilliant - such a good mood in the dressing room," Tuchel said, while England defender John Stones added: "We're building something special."