England became the first country from Europe to qualify for the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday.

England won 5-0 at Latvia, with captain Harry Kane scoring twice in the first half, to assure first place in its group with two matches to spare. The English, who will be appearing at an eighth straight World Cup, haven't conceded a goal in six matches in qualifying so far under German coach Thomas Tuchel.

"Sometimes we make it look easy," said Kane, who already has a total of 21 goals for England and Bayern Munich this season, "but these groups and games can be tough. ... We talk about high standards no matter who we play against to keep the momentum, and that showed."

Italy, which has failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, guaranteed itself at least a place in the playoffs after beating

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