Thomas Tuchel becomes the 11th England manager to win his first game in charge.
England defeated Albania with goals from Myles Lewis-Skelly and Harry Kane, starting their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with a win.
Jude Bellingham provided an excellent pass to set up Lewis-Skelly, the Arsenal youngster who became England’s youngest debut goalscorer.
With twelve minutes remaining, captain Harry Kane skillfully controlled the ball and scored his 70th goal for England from close range, placing his shot into the corner of the net.
- Full-time result: England 2 Albania 0
Live updates to follow…
- More from Lewis-Skelly
- Player ratings
- Lewis-Skelly has dream debut but Tuchel fails to solve Foden conundrum
- Further down the line
- What’s next?
- Tuchel honest on wingers
- Player of the Match
- Rice on Lewis-Skelly
- The boss’ thoughts
- Match report
- Lewis-Skelly and Kane get Tuchel’s Three Lions reign off to flyer
- Bellingham pleased
- Lewis-Skelly speaks
- Match stats
More from Lewis-Skelly
Myles Lewis Skelly shared more about his dream debut and season for the 18-year-old.
Speaking to BBC Radio Five Live, he said: “I’m speechless. The last six months have flown by. I’m focusing on the present and enjoying every moment.”
About his debut goal, he added: “I remember staying wide and switching positions with Marcus Rashford. Jude likes to position himself between the lines. It was a fantastic pass from him, and the timing was perfect.”
“For the finish, the goalkeeper was approaching, and I aimed to put it through his legs. I wasn’t even sure I would score.”
He concluded: “Honestly, it’s incredible – this is a day I will never forget.”
Player ratings
SunSport’s Tom Barclay rated each England player’s performance as they aimed to impress new manager Thomas Tuchel…
Joran Pickford – 6
Myles Lewis-Skelly – ?
Phil Foden – 5
Harry Kane – ?
Lewis-Skelly has dream debut but Tuchel fails to solve Foden conundrum
Further down the line
Here’s a look at England’s next five matches, by which time Tuchel will have had three international breaks and further shaped the team.
What’s next?
This is the first game in Tuchel’s push to win the 2026 World Cup.
What’s next for England?
England will play Latvia at Wembley on Monday in their second World Cup qualifier.
Latvia defeated Andorra 1-0 last night, setting up a top-of-the-table clash.
Tuchel honest on wingers
Thomas Tuchel gave a frank assessment of Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden’s performances on the wings for England tonight.
Player of the Match
Lewis-Skelly was named Player of the Match, adding to his fantastic debut.
Rice on Lewis-Skelly
Declan Rice praised his Arsenal teammate Myles Lewis-Skelly after his debut goal.
He told ITV: “He [Lewis-Skelly] is fearless and dedicated off the pitch, especially for only 18.
“I knew he’d perform like this tonight because of his confidence.
“He’s grounded, and this is just the beginning for him.”
The boss’ thoughts
Thomas Tuchel provided an honest assessment of England’s first game under him.
He said: “We can improve. We must improve. We started well with many passes, high energy, and possession. But it’s tough to break down a deep-lying defense.
“In the second half, we were too slow and didn’t make enough off-ball runs to get behind their line.”
Match report
Read SunSport’s Dave Kidd’s report on Tuchel’s first match…
Lewis-Skelly and Kane get Tuchel’s Three Lions reign off to flyer
Bellingham pleased
Jude Bellingham shared his thoughts on the positives and negatives of the first win under the new manager.
He said: “It was good. We had clear ideas on our game plan, but it’s challenging against a compact team. Overall, we executed the plan well.”
Adding: “[We need to improve] Rhythm and tempo in the second half. Maybe more clinical finishing too. There’s still room for improvement. We want to finish these games earlier.”
Lewis-Skelly speaks
Myles Lewis-Skelly spoke to ITV about his dream debut for England.
Match stats
