England Maintain Perfect Record with 2–0 Victory Over Serbia in World Cup Qualifiers

Analysis by Hikaru Sakamoto

Saka and Eze Seal Seventh Straight Victory in World Cup Qualifiers

England continued their impressive run in the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers, recording a 2–0 victory over Serbia on Matchday 9 to make it seven wins from seven matches without conceding a goal.

Having already secured qualification after six consecutive victories, England once again fielded a strong starting lineup. Captain Harry Kane led the side, while Bukayo Saka played a key role on the right flank as the Three Lions looked to maintain their perfect record.

The opening goal came in the 28th minute following a set-piece situation. Declan Rice delivered an outswinging free-kick from the right side, which was partially cleared by the Serbian goalkeeper. Nico O’Reilly reacted first to the loose ball at the edge of the penalty area, and his deflected effort fell kindly to Saka, who struck a controlled left-footed volley into the net to give England the lead.

England dominated possession throughout the match and limited Serbia’s attacking opportunities, but the visitors remained defensively organized, preventing the home side from extending their advantage for much of the game.

The match was finally decided in stoppage time. Jude Bellingham won the ball back in midfield and carried it forward before releasing Phil Foden, whose through pass found substitute Eberechi Eze inside the penalty area. Eze finished first time to secure the 2–0 result and preserve England’s unbeaten and goalless defensive record in the qualifiers.

England will face Albania away on the final matchday on the 16th, while Serbia are set to host Latvia in their concluding fixture.

Saka 28’⚽️
Eze 90’⚽️

Line-ups
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿England 4-2-3-1
GK　1：Pickford
DF　3：James　5：Stones　2：Konsa　18：O’Reilly
MF　21：Anderson　4：Rice
MF/FW　7：Saka　15：Rogers　11：Rashford
FW 9：Kane(c)

39′ Rashford→Eze
65′ Rogers→Bellingham
65′ Kane→Foden
65′ Rice→Henderson
85′ Anderson→Wharton

🇷🇸Serbia 4-5-1
GK　1：Raikovió
DF　2：Mimovic　4：Milenkovic　3：Pavlovic　22：Terzic
MF　14：Zivkovic　17：Iliic　6：Gudelj　10：Lukic　11：Kostic(c)
FW 23：Vlahovic

39′ Iliic→Stankoviic
69′ Gudelj→Samardzic
76′ Terzic→Randonjic
76′ Lukic→Grujic
76′ Zivkovic→Jovic

The Bigger Picture

England’s latest qualifying win did more than extend a flawless record — it sharpened the sense that this squad has crossed into unfamiliar territory. Seven wins, no goals conceded, and the luxury of deciding matches with substitutes who would start for almost any other national team. From a journalist’s perspective, what stands out is not just dominance, but normalization of dominance. Among England supporters, there is a growing expectation that control, depth, and late-game authority are now baseline standards rather than pleasant surprises.

This mood is inseparable from the long arc of England’s youth development reforms. The players shaping matches today are not accidents; they are products of a system recalibrated more than a decade ago. Yet even amid celebration, there is restraint. Fans seem aware that qualifiers, however perfect, are not tournaments. Questions about defensive resilience, knockout draws, and whether historic numbers translate to World Cup success still linger beneath the surface.

What emerges most clearly is a psychological shift. England fans are no longer merely hoping to compete — they are debating how best to deploy abundance, arguing over marginal gains, and scrutinizing bias in commentary and selection. This is the mindset of a fanbase adjusting to power.

Fan Reactions

• Imagine being able to bring on Bellingham, Foden, and Eze off the bench. That depth is just ridiculous lol.
• It took a while, but all those youth development changes England made in the late 2000s really paid off.
• England and France are so stacked it’s unreal. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if that ends up being the World Cup final next year.
• Well, assuming the Round of 16 seeding doesn’t mess things up.
• England’s attacking depth is insane, but defensively they’re still not on the same level.
• Banger. 20 goals scored and 0 conceded in 7 games is actually insane, doesn’t matter who’s in the group.
• Have England ever put up numbers like this before? Legit asking.
• They’ve gone unbeaten in qualifying before, but “perfect” like this? Don’t think so. Last cycle was 10 games, went 8-2-0 with 39 scored and 3 conceded — probably their best, but that group had San Marino and Andorra.
• And yeah, we look way quicker on the ball this time.
• You reckon they can actually go all the way at this World Cup? Those are scary numbers, man.
• Eze at LW once Ødegaard’s back, easy call.
• But Trossard’s been cooking. That’s gonna be some elite competition — football gods, no more injuries please.
• Bench Trossard is literally Peak Trossard™.
• Chip-on-his-shoulder Trossard just bullies defenders for fun lol.
• Angry raccoon mode equals a full stat boost. Dude goes feral.
• To be fair, he’s been balling out as a starter recently too, while bench Martinelli has been hitting different this season.
• Up until these last couple games they were basically tag-teaming it. Whoever started was fine, then the 70th-minute supersub would come on and absolutely cook.
• So yeah… the plan is start Eze, then flip a coin at halftime to decide who gets the power-up sub.
• Especially wild considering Bellingham’s pass was the harder one by miles.
• Swear most of the commentary was about the pass. What was that?
• He was praising Foden all game for no reason.
• Probably because he’s a City fan, lol.
• He literally grew up supporting City.
• Still does, no doubt. But he should be praising Eze too — that guy’s worked for everything.
• Whenever I see him on TV he bends over backwards to pretend he has zero bias toward the club he played for over a decade.
• Yet he has no hesitation praising City players.
• He’s a quarter Black, like Ryan Giggs. Doesn’t really get put in the Black player category.
• If it needs spelling out: Foden, Palmer, Kane are White English lads. Eze, Saka, Bellingham are Black English lads.
• Do some people — the ignorant ones — carry a bit of bias over who should start for England? Yeah, absolutely.
• Pretty sure Palmer’s dad or maybe his grandad is Black, so technically he’s part-Black too.
• Yeah, he’s a quarter Black — same deal as Ryan Giggs. Still doesn’t usually get grouped that way.

Where England Stand Now

Taken together, these perspectives reveal a fanbase in transition. Confidence is high, but not careless; pride is strong, but accompanied by vigilance. England’s supporters are enjoying depth, speed, and statistical excellence while simultaneously interrogating narratives — about tactics, selection, media framing, and even identity.

This balance between belief and skepticism may be England’s most telling sign of progress. Not blind optimism, not permanent anxiety, but an engaged, demanding confidence shaped by history and sharpened by possibility.
　Doesn’t usually get thrown into the “Black player” category though.

Source:
Sky Sports
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13469172/england-2-0-serbia-bukayo-saka-and-eberechi-eze-help-maintain-three-lions-perfect-world-cup-qualifying-record-after-slow-start