England manager Thomas Tuchel has discovered who he will be pitting his wits against in his first match in charge of the Three Lions.
The Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 runners-up learned their opponents for the qualifying cycle of the 2026 World Cup on Friday, being drawn into Group K alongside Albania, Andorra, Serbia and Latvia.
Now, the schedule for the section has been confirmed, and England's first game of Group K - and Tuchel's inaugural match as Three Lions manager - will be a home fixture against Albania on Friday, March 21.
Three days later, England will also host Latvia in their second qualifying game, meaning that Tuchel's first away match will not be played until June 7, when the 1966 World Cup winners travel to minnows Andorra.
First place in Group K will secure direct entry to the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada, while the runners-up will have the chance to qualify via the playoffs in March 2026.
The Three Lions managed to bypass the UEFA Nations League playoffs during Lee Carsley's tenure, finishing first in League B Group 2 over Greece to confirm automatic promotion back to League A.
England World Cup 2026 qualifying schedule in full:
March 21: Albania (H | 7.45pm)
March 24: Latvia (H | 7.45pm)
June 7: Andorra (A | 5pm)
September 6: Andorra (H | 5pm)
September 9: Serbia (A | 7.45pm)
October 14: Latvia (A | 7.45pm)
November 13: Serbia (H | 7.45pm)
November 16: Albania (A | 5pm)
Ben Knapton
