Seven games, 20 goals, and yet to concede a single player – England are close to perfection

England qualified through the World Cup qualifiers, winning all seven of their matches and scoring 20 unanswered goals, setting several records and leaving them on the cusp of another.

If Thomas Tuchel’s side beat Albania in the final qualifying match on Sunday (17:00 GMT) and keep a clean sheet, they will become the first European team to play at least six qualifying matches and win them all without conceding a goal.

Equipping victories outright – regardless of the goals conceded – is also a rare achievement. Except for the early years of the World Cup, when teams often played a few preliminary matches, only four European countries have finished the tournament with a 100% winning record.

Germany was the last team to do so on their way to the 2018 tournament, despite suffering the shock of an early exit in Russia. Spain and the Netherlands, who met in the 2010 final, qualified for South Africa in perfect fashion, as did West Germany in the 1982 tournament.

England are not the only team about to join this exclusive list, Spain and Norway have also won all their matches in the 2026 qualifiers, with Luis de la Fuente’s side yet to concede.