England are closing in on World Cup qualification, and they are just a few wins away.

The Three Lions can all but seal their place at the 2026 edition of the famous tournament with victory over Serbia, live on talkSPORT, on Tuesday night.

England might not have blown the opposition away, but they are grinding towards another tournament appearance
AFP

After four games, England have a perfect record and are yet to concede a goal.

However, that doesn’t tell the whole story with a few of the performances underwhelming.

But a win over second-place Serbia would put Thomas Tuchel‘s men on the cusp of making it to the World Cup again.

What do England need to qualify for the World Cup?

England have four remaining games as they look to finish top of the group and avoid the lottery of the play-offs.

And, because they play Serbia twice, the equation is a simple one.

Should England beat Serbia twice, it would ensure the Eastern European side can only finish on 16 points, while the Three Lions would be guaranteed a minimum of 18, sealing the group and a place at the World Cup.

This is because Albania, who are currently third, could only reach 17 points even if they win all their remaining matches.

So, for England to qualify for the World Cup as Group K winner, they just need to beat Serbia twice.

Qualification can’t be confirmed this week, even if England win in Belgrade, but they can secure all but play-off spot.

Albania are taking on Latvia, and if they draw and England win that would basically guarantee a play-off spot.

This is due to England’s far superior goal difference.

They currently are seven better off than Albania and have 11 goals on Latvia, meaning there would need to be a big swing in the last three qualifying games for the other two to stand a chance of catching England.

England have won every qualifying game so far, but the style and manner has drawn criticism
Getty

England's remaining World Cup qualifying games

Tuesday, September 9 – Serbia vs England – 7:45pm – live on talkSPORT

Tuesday, October 14 – Latvia vs England – 7:45pm – live on talkSPORT

Thursday, November 13 – England vs Serbia – 7:45pm – live on talkSPORT

Sunday, November 16 – Albania vs England – 5pm – live on talkSPORT

Tuchel has cut a frustrated figure at times, but England are close to qualifying for the World Cup
Getty

Who has already qualified for the World Cup?

There are set to be 48 teams at the 2026 World Cup, and several countries have already qualified.

As co-hosts, the USA, Canada and Mexico are straight into the tournament, and as we build-up to the showpiece event, more and more teams are starting to book their spots.

The latest four sides to seal their places are Uruguay and Colombia in South America, who were then joined by Paraguay.

In Africa, Morocco became the first country to make it, with Algeria, Egypt and Tunisia the next in line.

With that in mind, here is a full list of the sides that have already qualified for the World Cup.

  • Host nations: Canada, Mexico, United States
  • Asia: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Uzbekistan
  • Africa: Morocco
  • Concacaf: None yet
  • Europe: None yet
  • Oceania: New Zealand
  • South America: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay