England vs Albania LIVE: Debutant Myles Lewis-Skelly scores first goal of Thomas Tuchel era
The Three Lions begin their journey under Tuchel as qualifying for the 2026 World Cup gets underway
England take on Albania at Wembley in Thomas Tuchel’s first game in charge. The German coach has been appointed on an 18-month contract through to the 2026 World Cup and England begin that journey as their qualifying campaign gets underway.
Tuchel has wasted no time explaining where England fell short under Gareth Southgate, saying that he felt the team were “afraid” during last summer’s Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain. "I want us to play with excitement and the hunger and desire to win,” Tuchel said. “And the acceptance of failure is part of it, especially in football."
Tuchel arrives with an impressive CV, that includes winning the Champions League with Chelsea, and made a number of eye-catching calls when naming his first squad, including a recall for former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson.
Now all eyes are on Tuchel’s first England line-up, with Newcastle’s Carabao Cup final hero Dan Burn and Arsenal teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly making their debuts alongside a recalled Marcus Rashford, as the Three Lions look to hit the ground running in their World Cup qualifying group.
Follow live updates from Wembley ahead of Tuchel’s first game in charge, below:
A good omen for England?
A random fact but one that will please England fans.
The Three Lions have won 16 of their last 17 internationals against nations whose name begins with A (one draw), keeping 15 clean sheets.
The last ‘A’ nation to beat England was Australia at Upton Park back in February 2003, while in a competitive match it was Argentina at the 1986 World Cup.
When is England vs Albania?
The match will kick-off at 7:45pm GMT on Friday 21 March at Wembley Stadium.
England vs Albania will be shown live on ITV 1 and ITV X, with coverage getting underway from 7pm.
Miguel Delaney answers your questions on Thomas Tuchel's England
Thomas Tuchel’s England era is officially underway. Friday’s World Cup qualifier against Albania will give us the first real glimpse of how the new manager wants his team to play. But what do you want to see from his debut match in charge?
Our chief football writer Miguel Delaney is here to dissect Thomas Tuchel’s England debut and what it means ahead of the next World Cup qualifier against Latvia. Ask your question here.
Miguel Delaney answers questions on England’s World Cup chances
Tuchel to try and find missing piece
Thomas Tuchel is adamant his side can find the missing piece on the road to the 2026 World Cup, hoping to discover excitement for winning rather than the fear of losing.
He explained: “The identity, the clarity, the rhythm, the repetition of patterns, the freedom of players, the expresson of players, the hunger [were all missing at Euro 2024].
“They [the players] were more afraid to drop out of the tournament in my observation, than having the excitement and hunger to win it.”
Tuchel on his first match in charge
Naturally much of the build-up to this game has been about Thomas Tuchel as it is his first game in charge of England.
He said: “I just hope so much that they [the fans] can see what I see on a daily basis, and they can transform it into the stadium. What I’ve seen in the last few days is amazing and it’s been a joy to watch and be a part of it.
“It’s amazing to have a full Wembley and I will be a bit nervous but that’s part of it, I’m always a bit nervous before matches so this will not be different. I’m excited and hopefully we can prove the point and take the first step.
“I feel the pressure, but I feel it as a privilege. In my coaching career, I’ve adapted to that and found methods to cope with it.”
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