Riga, Oct 15 (NationPress) Harry Kane scored two goals as England confirmed their qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with an impressive 5-0 victory against Latvia in the qualifiers.

Manager Thomas Tuchel made a pair of adjustments from the squad that triumphed over Wales, introducing Myles Lewis-Skelly in place of Marc Guehi and welcoming back Kane from injury to spearhead the offense.

The Three Lions initially believed they had struck early when Kane scored within the first two minutes, but the assistant referee flagged for offside. Shortly thereafter, the Bayern Munich forward squandered a prime chance from close range, according to reports from Xinhua.

England finally found their rhythm in the 26th minute when Anthony Gordon elegantly maneuvered in from the left flank and curled a superb shot into the far corner.

Kane quickly redeemed himself for his earlier misses, netting two goals before the halftime whistle: the first was a composed strike from the edge of the area in the 44th minute, followed by a penalty awarded deep into stoppage time due to a VAR-confirmed handball.

This brace allowed Kane to break Nat Lofthouse's record for England's multi-goal games, marking his achievement of scoring multiple times in a match on 13 occasions.

Latvia's defense faltered in the 58th minute when Maksims Tonisevs inadvertently scored an own goal, and England substitute Eberechi Eze capped off the scoring late in the match with a low shot.

This victory keeps England's flawless record intact in six qualifiers, placing them at the top of Group K with 18 points, seven ahead of second-placed Albania, thereby securing their spot at next year’s World Cup with two matches yet to play.

In other news from Group K, Serbia defeated Andorra 3-1 to secure third place in the group with 10 points.

In Group F, Portugal missed a chance for early qualification as Dominik Szoboszlai's stoppage-time goal earned Hungary a 2-2 draw, while Ireland narrowly beat 10-man Armenia 1-0. Portugal leads the group with 10 points, followed by Hungary with five.

In Group I, Mateo Retegui scored twice as Italy triumphed over Israel 3-0, while Estonia and Moldova ended in a 1-1 stalemate.

Meanwhile, Spain showcased dominance against Bulgaria with a 4-0 victory, highlighted by Mikel Merino's two headers contributing to the reigning European champions' comfort, as Türkiye also outperformed Georgia 4-1.