Five-Star Lions: Thomas Tuchel's England Register Statement Win Over Serbia

Last Updated:September 10, 2025, 08:43 IST

Harry Kane, Noni Madueke, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi and Marcus Rashford all netted for England against Serbia as Nikola Milenkovic was given the marching orders in the second half.

England's Marc Guehi celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal during the World Cup Group K qualifying soccer match between Serbia and England, at the Rajko Mitic Stadium in Belgrade, Serbia, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Marko Drobnjakovic)

England coasted to a 5-0 triumph over Serbia on Wednesday in the FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifiers as Thomas Tuchel’s men put in a dominant performance to register intent at the Rajko Mitic Stadium.

Harry Kane, Noni Madueke, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi and Marcus Rashford were all on target for the Three Lions against 10-men Serbia as Nikola Milenkovic was given the marching orders in the second half.

“We had an excellent week from start to finish. We’ve just proved what I’ve seen every day in this camp and this makes me very happy," Tuchel said.

“We played with a lot of intensity, a lot of teamwork and we showed our quality. It’s good to watch."

Harry Kane’s 74th goal in 109 England appearances gave the visitors a deserved lead in the first half at the Rajko Mitic Stadium.

In contrast to Kane’s status as his country’s record goalscorer, Noni Madueke netted his first senior international goal when he increased England’s advantage shortly after his captain’s opener.

Ezri Konsa also scored his maiden England goal in the second half before Serbia captain Nikola Milenkovic was sent off.

Marc Guehi bagged the fourth, and Marcus Rashford’s penalty completed the rout as a fifth successive qualifying victory cemented England’s position at the top of Group K.

They are seven points ahead of second-placed Albania and hold an eight-point lead over third-placed Serbia, who have a game in hand.

England need five points from their final three matches to secure a place at the World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico next year.

Although England had made a 100 percent start to the qualifying campaign under Tuchel, their previous performances had been devoid of inspiration and lacked a clear identity.

Dour wins over Andorra, Latvia, and Albania, alongside a dismal friendly loss to Senegal, had raised questions about Tuchel’s ability to win England’s first major trophy since the 1966 World Cup.

But Tuchel had described the meeting with Serbia as “proof of concept," and his blueprint looked far more convincing after the most cohesive performance of his six-match reign.

“We’ve only had three weeks of training and that’s normally half a pre-season. It takes time and in between there are weeks of pause," Tuchel said.

“The players did excellent. The credit goes to them. That’s the bar," the German added.

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