England vs Albania LIVE: Thomas Tuchel takes cost of first recreation and prepares to call staff
England take on Albania at Wembley in Thomas Tuchel’s first game in charge. The German coach has been appointed on an 18-month contract through to the 2026 World Cup and England begin that journey as their qualifying campaign gets underway.
Tuchel has wasted no time explaining where England fell short under Gareth Southgate, saying that he felt the team were “afraid” during last summer’s Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain. “I want us to play with excitement and the hunger and desire to win,” Tuchel said. “And the acceptance of failure is part of it, especially in football.”
Tuchel arrives with an impressive CV, that includes winning the Champions League with Chelsea, and made a number of eye-catching calls when naming his first squad, including a recall for former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson.
Now all eyes are on Tuchel’s first England line-up as the Three Lions look to hit the ground running in their World Cup qualifying group that includes Serbia, Latvia, Andorra and tonight’s opponents Albania.
Follow live updates from Wembley ahead of Tuchel’s first game in charge, below:
How can I watch it?
England vs Albania will be shown live on ITV 1 and ITV X, with coverage getting underway from 7pm.
When is England vs Albania?
The match will kick-off at 7:45pm GMT on Friday 21 March at Wembley Stadium.
England’s new era begins
England are in Group K of World Cup qualifying, along with Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra, with the top team qualifying for the World Cup finals.
During this international break they will face Albania and Latvia with Thomas Tuchel hoping to get his tenure off to a winning start.
Good afternoon
England begin a new era under Thomas Tuchel as the Three Lions kick off the road to the 2026 World Cup with a qualifier against Albania at Wembley.
Tuchel’s first game in charge comes as England target victory at the 2026 tournament, with the German coach signing an 18-month contract after succeeding Gareth Southgate as manager.
And Friday night’s fixture at Wembley will offer an early look at how Tuchel wants to shape his new England team, following spells in the club game with Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich.
