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Match Coverage

Kick-off – Declan Rice sends it backwards to Dean Henderson to launch long and the match has begun.

A duet of smartly dressed gentlemen with microphones lead us in versions of both anthems. Impressive.

Berat Djimsiti and Kane head out with their pennants. Match start in England’s last match of 2025 is imminent.

Seven games, seven wins, zero goals conceded. Smooth sailing for the English side so far in qualifying. Outside of this group, they’ve now maintained 9 consecutive clean sheets in competitive fixtures – only two teams have achieved that in Europe previously.

The Spanish national team are the only other team in UEFA qualification yet to let in a score. For what it’s worth, Liechtenstein are the sole side still to score.

Squad Updates

Jude Bellingham is among 7 changes to the England side that beat the Serbian team on Thursday. Wharton earns his first senior start in the middle of the park together with Jude and Rice.

Henderson replaces Jordan Pickford in goal, while Jarell Quansah makes his first cap at right-back, with Burn alongside Stones in the centre of defence.

Eze and Bowen play on the wings of Harry Kane in attack. Scott could get his maiden cap as a substitute.

Confirmed Starting XIs

Albanian National Team (Four-three-three): Strakosha; Elseid Hysaj, Ardit Ismajli, Djimsiti, Nadir Aliji; Laci, Asllani, Ramadani; Bajrami, Uzuni, Sokol Hoxha.

England (Four-three-three): Dean Henderson; Quansah, John Stones, Burn, Festus O’Reilly; Declan Rice, Wharton, Bellingham; Bowen, Kane, Eze.

Preamble

So, you could label this a dead rubber. England secured their spot at the upcoming global tournament a whole month earlier. The Albanian team also secured a spot in the March playoffs with a victory against the Andorran side on Thursday.

However with the global finals just seven months and a few matches to go, there is nothing as a dead rubber for the England players aiming to persuade Thomas Tuchel that they deserve a seat on his flight to the USA/Canada/Mexico. Not even the players of Bellingham and Foden can be sure of a position in the team until it is named in next May.

The English national team have won on each of the three of their prior trips to Tirana, the latest being a two-nil victory under Gareth Southgate on the way to securing qualification for the 2022 finals. That was during lockdown. Mason Mount got the goal. Kalvin Phillips was in the engine room. Jesse Lingard came off the bench. Those certainly were another era.

It’s a 17:00 (Greenwich Mean Time) start today at the Air Albania Stadium. I’d like to receive your thoughts on how the English team have performed in 2025 under Tuchel, how you anticipate them to perform at the finals and who you believe ought to – or ought not – be on that flight. Perspectives from Albanian supporters are also appreciated.