Harry Kane netted his 69th international goal on Sunday, igniting a second-half scoring frenzy that propelled England to a decisive 5-0 victory over Ireland and ensured their promotion back to the top tier of the UEFA Nations League.
In what marked his final match as temporary head coach, Lee Carsley guided England to victory at Wembley Stadium, reaffirming the team’s status among Europe’s elite in the upcoming competition.
“I wanted the England team to be exciting to watch and attacking,” Carsley remarked. “I see them do it day in, day out on the training ground. And now we’ve seen it (on the field).”
England topped Group B2 on goal difference ahead of Greece, who secured a 2-0 win over Finland. Kane opened the scoring with a penalty in the 53rd minute after Jude Bellingham was fouled by Liam Scales, who received a second yellow card for the infraction.
Just five minutes later, Anthony Gordon and Conor Gallagher found the net in quick succession, making it 3-0 by the 58th minute. Substitute Jarrod Bowen made an immediate impact, scoring with his first touch in the 75th minute, followed by a debut goal from Taylor Harwood-Bellis four minutes later.
“A really important win for us,” Kane said. “It was a tough first half, but we came out second half with a lot more energy and we finished it off.”
To secure the top spot in the group, England needed to match Greece’s result. Anastasios Bakasetas had given Greece the lead in Finland just before Kane’s opener. Christos Tzolis later added a second for Greece, who will now enter a playoff for promotion.
Carsley finishes his interim tenure with five wins from six matches and will return to his role as head coach of England’s under-21 team. Thomas Tuchel is set to take over in January, leading the team as they prepare for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Tuchel will have a wealth of options when selecting his first squad, thanks to Carsley’s decision to hand debuts to eight players during his brief time in charge. Gordon, Gallagher, Bowen, and Harwood-Bellis all scored their first senior goals for England in this match.
“Lee has achieved the main objective from the six fixtures this autumn: securing promotion back to the top tier of the Nations League,” said Mark Bullingham, CEO of the English Football Association. “The players have really enjoyed working with Lee and his team – they have made a real impact in their interim roles.”
In related news, Erling Haaland leads the Nations League scoring charts after netting a hat trick in Norway’s 5-0 victory over Kazakhstan. The Manchester City striker now has seven goals, two ahead of Viktor Gyokeres, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Benjamin Sesko, who are all tied on five. Norway also secured promotion to the top tier, finishing ahead of second-place Austria, which drew 1-1 with Slovenia.
Related topics
- Why Soccer Is Good for Your Health
- Why Do Americans Call It Soccer
- Which 5 Football Clubs Are the Best
