England geared up for World Cup following impeccable qualification
England completed their impeccable World Cup qualification with a landmark 2-0 victory over Albania on Sunday.
The Three Lions secured all possible points across their eight fixtures, marking them as the inaugural European side to triumph in every qualifier without letting in a goal throughout a campaign of at least six outings.
AFP Sport examines three vital elements that could propel Thomas Tuchel's squad to success at the upcoming tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico:
Tuchel's tactical expertise
Following an initial sluggish phase in his tenure, Thomas Tuchel has steadily rejuvenated England during the past 11 months, his shrewd tactical adjustments showing particular impact.
Tuchel's forerunner Gareth Southgate faced frequent backlash for his tentative strategy and delayed reactions requiring substitutions to shift the game's flow.
Southgate's inherent caution proved costly in England's Euro final defeats to Italy in 2021 and Spain in 2024, alongside the 2018 World Cup semi-final loss to Croatia.
Tuchel has demonstrated resilience under intense scrutiny, guiding Chelsea to Champions League success in 2021 and claiming league honours with Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.
The 52-year-old has infused that high-stakes know-how into England.
During Thursday's 2-0 triumph over Serbia, he introduced Eberechi Eze and Phil Foden, who linked up to set up the Arsenal forward's second goal for England.
Against Albania, it was Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford off the bench who delivered the assists for Harry Kane's two goals.
Tuchel has managed Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham with equal astuteness.
Whereas Southgate appeared eager to adjust the team around Bellingham, Tuchel has declined to favour the midfielder, omitting him from the October internationals and limiting him to a cameo against Serbia.
Bellingham returned to the lineup versus Albania motivated to perform, yet when he reacted irritably to being withdrawn by Morgan Rogers late on, Tuchel promptly enforced discipline.
After previously cautioning Bellingham about needing to earn his World Cup spot, Tuchel's firm approach reinforces a collective team priority that is yielding results.
England's NFL-inspired set-piece strategy
In a campaign where various Premier League clubs capitalised on corners, free-kicks, and lengthy throw-ins against rival backlines, it was intriguing to listen to England skipper Kane discuss Tuchel's ambition to develop an NFL-style set-piece guide.
Kane, an admirer of American football, indicated that England will arrive at the World Cup equipped with a repertoire of dead-ball patterns to exploit defensive frailties.
"I believe it is crucial, truthfully," Kane remarked. "You aim for an NFL playbook sort of thing, analysing the opponents to determine if they mark zonally or man-to-man.
"We can select our preferred options, and invariably, the top team in set-pieces tends to emerge as the tournament's strongest overall."
Appropriately, Kane's first strike against Albania stemmed from Saka's corner, signalling a warning to potential World Cup rivals.
Abundant squad options
Tuchel is fortunate to lead England amid a wealth of skilled players across every position.
England's depth shone brightly in Tirana, as Tuchel altered seven starters yet assembled a lineup potent enough to halt Albania's eight-game unbeaten streak.
With Cole Palmer, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jack Grealish, and Harry Maguire sidelined for the concluding qualifiers, talents like Nico O'Reilly, Elliot Anderson, Jarrod Bowen, Eberechi Eze, Jarell Quansah, and Adam Wharton made compelling cases for World Cup inclusion.
Tuchel now boasts reserves nearly matching the starters in most roles.
Just Bayern Munich forward Kane, who elevated his England scoring record to 78, stands as truly indispensable.
This abundance may cause Tuchel some restless moments prior to finalising his World Cup roster, yet the German ought to capitalise on England's current era of exceptional talent.