Kane’s Brace Caps Historic, Perfect World Cup Qualifying Campaign for England
Harry Kane scored twice late in the game to secure a 2–0 victory against Albania, helping England complete a flawless World Cup qualifying run. The brace sealed England’s 100% record in Group K as they won all eight of their matches without conceding a single goal.
Under the guidance of coach Thomas Tuchel, England became the first European nation to sweep a World Cup qualifying group of at least six matches while keeping a clean sheet throughout.
Kane broke the deadlock in the 74th minute by tapping in from a corner when Albania failed to clear, before doubling the lead eight minutes later with a towering header from Marcus Rashford’s cross.
By scoring these two goals, Kane extended his international tally to 78 goals in 112 appearances, surpassing Brazil legend Pelé’s 77 for his country.
After the match, Tuchel admitted it was one of the toughest games of their campaign, saying England had to remain patient and maintain defensive discipline to finally find a breakthrough.
With this historic qualifying performance, England now turn their focus to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.