The Matchday 1 fixture of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying tournament between England and Albania will take place on March 21 at Wembley Stadium in London. England vs. Albania: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
England National Team
The pioneers of football approach the upcoming match with a 31-game unbeaten streak in World Cup qualifiers (23 wins and 8 draws). In the last World Cup qualifying cycle, England confidently won their group with 8 victories and 2 draws, boasting a goal difference of 39:3. Notably, no other team scored more goals in the European qualifiers. Interestingly, in the previous four World Cup qualifying cycles, England started with clean sheet victories.
- England has kept a clean sheet in 9 of their last 12 games in the current qualifiers.
- At least three goals have been scored in 6 of England's last 8 qualifying matches.
- England opened the scoring in 11 of their last 12 matches in this qualifying campaign.
Predicted England Lineup (4-2-3-1)
Jordan Pickford – Reece James, Marc Guehi, Kyle Walker, Valentino Livramento – Jordan Henderson, Curtis Jones – Anthony Gordon, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden – Harry Kane.
The upcoming match will be Thomas Tuchel's debut as the head coach of the England national team, having replaced Gareth Southgate. Notably, forward Marcus Rashford and midfielder Jordan Henderson return to the squad. Due to injuries, defenders Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harry Maguire, along with forward Bukayo Saka and midfielder Cole Palmer, are unavailable.
Albania National Team
The Balkan team finished third in their group in the last World Cup qualifiers. They were defeated by Poland and England, losing all four matches against them. However, in the other six matches, Albania won, keeping clean sheets. It's worth noting that Albania has not lost in the opening round of a World Cup qualifying cycle in four consecutive matches (3 wins and 1 draw).
- Albania's uncompromising run in these qualifiers is 12 matches (6 wins and 6 losses).
- At least one team failed to score in six of the Balkan side's previous qualifying matches.
- No more than two goals have been scored in 8 of Albania's last 11 qualifying games.
Predicted Albania Lineup (4-3-3)
Thomas Strakosha – Naser Aliji, Arlind Ajeti, Enea Mihaj, Ivan Balliu – Qazim Laci, Ylber Ramadani, Kristjan Asllani – Nedim Bajrami, Myrto Uzuni, Yaser Asani.
Due to injuries, defenders Mario Mitaj and Elseid Hysaj are unavailable. The participation of defenders Ardian Ismajli and Marash Kumbulla is also in doubt.
Referee
Alejandro José Hernández Hernández (Spain)
Matches – 7 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 17;
Average yellow cards per match – 2.4;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 18;
Penalties – 14%.
Match Prediction: England vs. Albania
The opponents met in the last World Cup qualifiers, where England comfortably defeated Albania: 5-0 at home and 2-0 away. It is highly likely that England will once again secure a confident victory over Sylvinho's team, most likely with a clean sheet.
England last lost a World Cup qualifier in 2009. Since then, the team has played 31 qualifying matches, winning 20 without conceding a goal. Notably, England has a 28-match unbeaten streak in home qualifiers, with 25 wins and 3 draws. They have kept clean sheets in 8 of their last 11 home World Cup qualifying matches.
My prediction – England to win with a clean sheet
