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England v Serbia in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers takes place at the Wemley Stadium on Thursday, November 13, as Thomas Tuchel’s men look to preserve their unblemished group record and extend an extraordinary defensive run. are seen
Already bound for the United States, England return to Wembley for their final home qualifier having won six of six without conceding a single goal.
5-0 wins over Latvia and Serbia earlier in the campaign were as ruthless as they usually are. England have rediscovered rhythm in attack, and while scoring freely have retained the same flexibility that underpinned their summer appearances at Euro 2024.
Serbia, meanwhile, still came with everything to play for. They sit a point behind Albania and know defeat could end their hopes of reaching the final.
It’s a tough task for new head coach Veljko Punovic, who steps into the role following the resignation of Dragan Stojkovic last month.
The former Reading boss began his reign against a side that had beaten Serbia 5-0 in Belgrade two months earlier.
His side ended a poor spell by beating Andorra 3-1 last time out, but the real test comes under the Wembley lights.
How to watch England vs Serbia
England v Serbia kicks off at Wemble Stadium on Thursday 13 November at 19:45 (GMT). The match will be shown live on ITV One, with free streaming available via ITVX from 7pm.
England team news
Mark Gehey is out with a foot injury, while Newcastle duo Nick Pope and Anthony Gordon have withdrawn with concussion and hip problems.
Chelsea’s Trevo Chelobah and Manchester City’s James Trafford come in, while Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden are back in contention after recent absences.
Adam Wharton and Alex Scott both hold their own in midfield, and Tuchel offers additional options alongside Declan Rice and Elliott Anderson.
Cole Palmer and Aberchie Eze could also feature from the bench, while Ollie Watkins and Jarrod Bowen provide attacking depth behind Harry Kane.
With talent preserved, Tuchel could hand minutes to youngsters such as Nico O’Reilly or Jeral Conesa, but a strong core expectation remains for what could be England’s final Wembley outing before the World Cup.
England expected line-up
(4-2-3-1) Pickford ; James, stone, which, burn; Rice, Anderson; Sacca, Bellingham, Rashford; Ken
Serbia Team News
New boss Punovic has to cope without Mitrovic, who is injured. Luka Jovic is an alternate up front, but Vlahovic is expected to start.
Filip Kostic and Lazar Smardzic should offer support from wide areas, while Nemanja Gudelj and Sergej Milenkovic-Cevic anchor the midfield.
Goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic retains the gloves, with Nikola Melenkovic and Strahanja Pavlovic continuing in central defence.
Serbia expected lineup
(4-2-3-1) Petrovic ; Mammooch, Melenkovic, Pavlovic, Terezic; Goodledge, Folk; Zivkovic, Smardzic, Kostic; Vlahoch
England vs Serbia Stats
– England have scored 18 goals and conceded none in six group matches.
– Serbia have scored seven runs and conceded seven in the same period.
– The Three Lions are unbeaten in their last 10 home World Cup qualifiers (W9 D1).
– Serbia have lost three of their last five qualifiers and none of their last three away fixtures.
– England have beaten Serbia in all three meetings since 2003, scoring 8 and conceding 1.
– The most recent encounter ended in Serbia 0-5 England in September 2025.
– England also won 1–0 at Euro 2024 and 2–1 in the 2003 friendly.
– Tuchel’s side are chasing a fifth successive clean sheet in all competitions.
– Harry Kane has six goals in qualifying – more than the Serbian squad in their last five games combined.
England vs Serbia Predictions
England’s campaign has been ruthless in both boxes. Eighteen scores, nobody conceded, and barely a moment of tension in six qualifiers.
They have hit 18 without reply in this group and have only beaten Serbia 5-0 in Belgrade, so another dominant display looks likely.
Harry Kane’s appearance only reinforces this theory. Six goals in qualifying, 23 for Bayern this season, and a habit of scoring early when England dominate. You can do it Kane back to score at 4/5.
Serbia arrived without their record scorer and physical focal point, Aleksandar Mitrovic. Without him, they lack a natural finisher and a way to unsettle England’s centre-backs.
They have scored just seven in the group and have rarely threatened away from home. This pattern is unlikely to change in either party yet, therefore Under 3.5 goals and England to win at 1/1 appeals.
