England vs. Serbia: 2026 World Cup Qualifier Preview, Predictions, and Lineups
England will host Serbia in a crucial World Cup qualifier on Thursday evening, with the match carrying significant weight for the visitors. Thomas Tuchel's Three Lions secured their spot in next summer's tournament as the first European nation to qualify, boasting an impressive six-game winning streak, 18 goals scored, and zero conceded. In contrast, Serbia finds itself in third place in Group K, one point adrift of Albania, who occupy the second-place playoff spot.
Serbia's qualification campaign concludes with a match against Latvia this weekend, while Albania, facing winless Andorra tonight, will host England in their final qualifier. Thursday's Wembley encounter will mark Veljko Paunović's debut on the sidelines since Dragan Stojković stepped down as Serbia's manager following a shocking home defeat to Albania last month. An England victory, albeit not an easy one, would be the more surprising outcome.
Head-to-Head Record: England vs. Serbia
Current Form (All Competitions)
England:
- Latvia 0-5 England (10/25/25)
- Andorra 3-2 England (09/25/25)
- England 3-0 Wales (09/25/25)
- England 2-0 Andorra (09/25/25)
- England 1-3 Senegal (06/10/25)
Serbia:
- Andorra 1-3 Serbia (10/25/25)
- Serbia 0-1 Albania (10/25/25)
- Serbia 0-5 England (09/25/25)
- Latvia 0-1 Serbia (09/25/25)
- Serbia 3-0 Andorra (06/10/25)
Key Injuries and Selection:
- Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guéhi is sidelined with a foot injury, ruling him out for Serbia's visit. He missed Sunday's goalless draw with Brighton and will not be part of the squad, a decision mirrored by Newcastle United duo Anthony Gordon and Nick Pope. However, Tuchel remains optimistic that Guéhi could feature against Albania this weekend.
- Elliot Anderson's availability was confirmed by Tuchel, who assured that the Nottingham Forest midfielder is pain-free and a key player for England.
- Tuchel ruled out any experimentation in this camp, despite England's qualification. He will likely stick to his 4-2-3-1 formation, with a few potential lineup changes.
Predicted Lineups:
- England: Pickford; James, Konsa, Stones, O'Reilly; Anderson, Rice; Saka, Bellingham, Rashford; Kane
- Serbia: Petrović; Veljković, Milenković, Pavlović; Zivković, Lukić, Gudelj, Samardzić, Kostić; Jović, Vlahović
Serbia's Manager's Challenge:
- Veljko Paunović aims to instill a belief in his players that they can secure a result against England, keeping their playoff hopes alive against Latvia. However, this belief is debatable, as few others share it.
England's Strengths:
- Despite concerns about their vibrancy and fluency, England has proven effective in this qualification campaign. Their biggest challenge on Thursday might be getting the Wembley crowd excited.
Prediction: England 3-0 Serbia
