England faced Serbia at Wembley Stadium today in a World Cup 2026 qualifying match, with the Three Lions already নিশ্চিত their place in the finals. England had already qualified for the 2026 World Cup after their last international break in October, making them the first European nation to do so. Despite having secured their spot, England, led by Thomas Tuchel, aimed to maintain their momentum and intensity.

The match kicked off at 7.45pm GMT. For viewers in the UK, the game was broadcast live on ITV1 and STV, and available to stream on ITVX, all free for UK television license holders. In the USA, the game was available on FOX Soccer Plus.

England has been in imperious form throughout the qualifying campaign, winning all six of their group games without conceding a single goal. Their dominant 5-0 victory over Latvia last month sealed their qualification. Tuchel, however, stressed the importance of maintaining high standards as competition for squad places intensifies ahead of next summer's finals.

In team news, England was forced to reshuffle slightly, with Nick Pope (concussion), Marc Guéhi (foot injury) and Anthony Gordon (hip problem) withdrawing from the squad. James Trafford was expected to be recalled to cover in goal, while Ezri Konsa and Dan Burn could feature in the defensive rotation. Nico O'Reilly was expected to make his senior England debut, with Morgan Rogers also in line to start. Jude Bellingham, despite being recalled, was likely to start on the bench.

Serbia, under the guidance of new manager Veljko Paunović, were seeking to secure a play-off spot. They faced a tough challenge, sitting behind Albania in the group. A loss against England combined with an Albania win against Andorra would eliminate them. Serbia was without key player Aleksandar Mitrovic due to injury.

Serbia's approach was expected to prioritize structure, aiming to exploit England's high line through Vlahović's hold-up play and Kostić's service from deep. However, England had dominated Serbia in their previous encounter, securing a 5-0 victory in Belgrade in September, thanks to goals from Harry Kane and Noni Madueke.

Harry Kane has been in exceptional form, scoring 23 goals in 20 World Cup qualifiers and 23 goals in 17 club games for Bayern Munich this season.

The match was significant for both sides, with England looking to continue their dominant form and Serbia fighting for a play-off place.