England’s national football team is on the verge of an unprecedented feat in World Cup qualifying, boasting seven wins from seven games, 20 goals scored, and none conceded under the stewardship of head coach Thomas Tuchel.

If the Three Lions secure a win against Albania in Sunday’s final qualifier (17:00 GMT) while maintaining a clean sheet, they will become the first European team in history to win at least six qualifiers without conceding a single goal.

This remarkable defensive and attacking performance has seen England shatter records and position themselves on the brink of achieving one of the rarest feats in international football.

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A Rare Feat in European Football

Winning every qualifying match is rare in itself. Excluding the early years of World Cup history, when teams played fewer preliminary matches, only four European nations have ever finished a qualification campaign with a 100% winning record.

• Germany accomplished the feat en route to the 2018 World Cup, though they faced a shocking early exit in Russia.
• Spain and the Netherlands both secured perfect qualifying campaigns for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
• West Germany also achieved this in 1982.

Now, England, Spain, and Norway are all close to joining this elite list for the 2026 World Cup cycle. Notably, Spain has yet to concede a goal, highlighting the defensive discipline mirrored by Tuchel’s side.

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England’s Qualifying Campaign: Dominance and Ease

The Three Lions have qualified for eight consecutive World Cups since missing the 1994 edition in the USA. While fans increasingly view qualification as a formality, past campaigns were far more dramatic.

Memorable moments include:

• Terry Butcher’s heroic performance against Sweden in 1989, playing with a blood-soaked shirt after a head injury.
• David Beckham’s stoppage-time free-kick against Greece in 2001, securing a crucial World Cup spot.

Today, England’s dominant run has made such heroics largely unnecessary. Their win percentage has steadily increased, and games are often decided without drama, highlighting the team’s modern consistency and tactical discipline.

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Defensive Mastery: Ten Goals Conceded in 16 Years

England’s dominance is built on a rock-solid defense. The last World Cup qualifying defeat came in 2009, a 1-0 loss in Ukraine. Since then, England has avoided defeat in 38 consecutive qualifiers, scoring 111 goals while conceding just 10—equivalent to a goal every 342 minutes of play.

This weekend in Albania, Tuchel’s side has the chance to equal the European record for competitive wins in a row without conceding, currently held by Spain at nine matches spanning Euro 2016 qualifying and the tournament itself.

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Jordan Pickford: Peerless Between the Sticks

Much of England’s defensive success can be credited to goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, who has set two national records this year:

• Ten consecutive clean sheets for England, surpassing the previous record of seven held jointly with Gordon Banks, the 1966 World Cup hero.
• Nine competitive international clean sheets in a row, highlighting his critical role in Tuchel’s defensive setup.

Pickford’s last conceded goal came in October 2024 against Greece in the Nations League, emphasizing his consistency and reliability.

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Attacking Brilliance: A Century-Old Scoring Run

England’s defensive solidity is matched by attacking prowess. The team has scored in 19 consecutive matches, the first time in over a century, totaling 46 goals. The streak began with Jude Bellingham’s stoppage-time overhead kick against Slovakia at Euro 2024.

This run ranks as the third-longest scoring streak in England’s history, with only two historic sequences—52 and 32 games in the late 19th and early 20th centuries—separated by a single 0-0 draw with Wales in 1902.

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A Record-Breaking Year on the Horizon

England has the potential to close 2025 with the highest win percentage in a calendar year since 1946. A victory against Albania would mean nine wins from ten games, with the only setback being a 3-1 friendly defeat to Senegal in June.

This level of dominance highlights Tuchel’s impact, combining defensive rigor, attacking fluidity, and strategic adaptability, making England a formidable contender for the 2026 World Cup.