Kane leads England to 5-0 rout of Serbia as World Cup qualification nears
England delivered a statement performance in Belgrade on Tuesday, crushing Group K rivals Serbia 5-0 to move within touching distance of automatic qualification for next year’s World Cup. Captain Harry Kane opened the scoring with his record-extending 74th international goal before Noni Madueke, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi and Marcus Rashford joined him on the scoresheet in a dominant display.
The win gives England a perfect 15 points from five matches, leaving them seven clear of second-placed Albania. Serbia, suffering their first group defeat, sit third with seven points and a game in hand. With the group winners qualifying automatically, Thomas Tuchel’s side could secure their spot at the finals as early as next month.
After criticism for a flat 2-0 win over Andorra at the weekend, England responded with their most fluid performance under Tuchel. Kane set the tone in the 33rd minute, heading home from a Declan Rice corner. Moments later, Madueke doubled the lead with a composed finish following a clever flick from Morgan Rogers.
Konsa extended the advantage early in the second half with a close-range strike that survived a VAR review, and Serbia’s misery deepened when Nikola Milenkovic was sent off for a foul on Kane in the 73rd minute. From the ensuing free kick, Rice picked out Guehi, who powered in the fourth. Substitute Rashford sealed the rout from the penalty spot after Ollie Watkins was fouled late on.
Tuchel hailed the performance afterwards: “I’m more than happy for the team and for the staff. We had an excellent week from start to finish and we just proved what I saw every day in this camp. We played with a lot of intensity and it was teamwork in its purest form.”
England remain unbeaten in Belgrade since 1958, and Kane stressed the importance of the result: “I think we showed our level today. Even in the other games, we did well, but we didn’t reach top form. We scored five and made it look comfortable. It has been a great camp and we are in a great position.”
With the 2026 World Cup already in sight, England appear to be building momentum at the perfect time under Tuchel’s leadership.
SportsLigue