Thomas Tuchel (51) defeated Albania in his debut as manager of the England national football team.
England secured a 2-0 victory over Albania in the first match of Group K in the 2026 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) North and Central America World Cup European qualifiers held at Wembley Stadium in London, England, on the 22nd (Korean time).
Tuchel, who took charge in January this year, marked a fresh start as national team coach with a win in his first official match.
In the 20th minute of the first half, Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal) scored the opening goal. In the 32nd minute of the second half, Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) added another goal with a right-footed shot, sealing England's 2-0 victory.
The 18-year-old 'rising star' Lewis-Skelly set a record as the youngest debut goalscorer in the history of the England A national team in his debut match.
Born in 2006, Lewis-Skelly is a left-back who made his adult debut this season wearing the Premier League Arsenal jersey. He made a strong impression in his first match after being included in the A-match roster for the first time in March.
32-year-old defender Dan Burn (Newcastle) also made his first appearance in an A match. He had a belated national team debut.
Tuchel is a world-class manager who has managed top European clubs such as Mainz, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bayern Munich. Having taken the helm of the England national team, he faces the challenges of generational change and tactical evolution.
Meanwhile, in Group G matches on the same day, Poland defeated Lithuania 1-0. Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona) scored the winning goal with a right-footed shot near the penalty arc in the 36th minute of the second half.
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