Angry Tuchel, mediocre England avoid slip-up against 173rd-ranked Andorra
Tuchel's Anger Escalates as England Experiences Shameful Rejection
Share on Facebook Tweet this Share on Whatsapp Send via Email Print Copy Link
In their opening matches for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, England looked unstoppable, winning all three games. However, their match against Andorra caused a stir, leaving head coach Thomas Tuchel furious.
England barely managed a 1-0 victory against the 173rd-ranked Andorra, with Thomas Tuchel — the coach of the vice-European champions — visibly upset. Captain Harry Kane scored the solitary goal in the 50th minute, marking the third goal in as many World Cup qualifiers for him.
England holds the top spot in Group K with nine points from three games, having already defeated Latvia (3:0) and Albania (2:0). Serbia is their fourth opponent.
Tuchel opted to put Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham on the pitch, while there was less glamour in Andorra's lineup. Pau Babot — a midfielder from Hanauer SC, a fifth-tier league in Hesse, Germany — showcased a standout performance for Andorra, missing his local cup final for the occasion.
With almost 90% possession and countless opportunities, England still trailed 0-0 at half-time. Tuchel expressed his frustration, calling for more determination. As the possibility of embarrassment loomed large, Kane found the back of the net, albeit slowly, in the second half. Despite the continued domination, England's performance remained lackluster. Andorra even had the opportunity to equalize through Guillaume Silvain Lopez from national champions Inter Club d'Escaldes in the 75th minute. Andorra's earlier World Cup qualifiers ended in a 0-1 loss to Latvia and a 0-3 defeat in Albania, keeping them scoreless and pointless.
- Thomas Tuchel
- 2026 FIFA World Cup
- World Cup Qualifiers
- Football
- International Match
Sources: ntv.de, tsi/sid
- Insights:
- Though England maintained their perfect record in World Cup qualifiers under Tuchel, their performance against Andorra was lackluster and required criticism from their coach.
- Harry Kane scored his third goal in three World Cup qualifiers to secure the win for England despite struggling to impress.
- Despite the relatively low-profile lineup put up by Andorra, their Pau Babot, a midfielder from a fifth-tier league in Germany, showcased a notable performance.
- Andorra went scoreless and pointless in their first two World Cup qualifiers, showing room for improvement.
Community aid could be provided to Andorra's football association, focusing on providing better facilities and equipment for their youth teams, as a way to boost their vocational training programs for future players.Vocational training in sports-analysis could be offered to Andorra's footballers, allowing them to learn from the data-driven approach used by top European football teams, like the vice-European champions, providing them with a competitive edge during upcoming international matches.
