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England meets Serbia: Political clash in the World Cup qualifiers!
England will face Serbia in European qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. The draw took place in Zurich while the games begin in March.
England meets Serbia: Political clash in the World Cup qualifiers!
An exciting duel is coming up: England will meet Serbia in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup!
The football world is upside down! The draw for the European qualifying groups for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Zurich was a real hit: England will meet Serbia! This encounter promises not only sporting excitement, but also political explosiveness, as Albania has also landed in this group.
The draw still left a lot of question marks for some teams. Eight groups have not yet been fully decided as they will contain either the winners or losers of the Nations League quarter-finals taking place next March.
The groups and their explosive encounters
England, under new coach Thomas Tuchel, who takes over on January 1, will face Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra in Group K. This group has the potential for explosive encounters, particularly between Serbia and Albania, who have often faced each other in heated arguments.
At the last European Championships, England beat Serbia 1-0 in their first group game before reaching the final, where they lost 2-1 to Spain. The rivalry between Serbia and Albania is deep-rooted and is further fueled by political tensions in the region. Serbia does not recognize the independence of Kosovo, which has a majority ethnic Albanian population, which further complicates the situation.
Political tensions and sporting rivalries
The political tensions cannot be overlooked. At a match between Serbia and England, a Kosovar journalist caused a stir when he made a gesture depicting the symbol of the Albanian flag during a live broadcast. UEFA reacted promptly and revoked his accreditation.
The rivalry has also led to violent incidents in the past. A Euro qualifier between Serbia and Albania had to be abandoned in 2014 after a scuffle broke out between players when a flag bearing the symbol of a so-called "Greater Albania" was waved over the stadium.
UEFA has already imposed penalties on Serbia after fans provoked with slogans such as "Kill the Serbs" during a match against Albania and Croatia. Such incidents cast a shadow over the upcoming tournament and the encounters between these nations.
The 2026 World Cup will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico and will be the first to be held with 48 teams. Europe has 16 places, an increase of 13 compared to the last World Cup. Qualifying matches begin in March next year and will continue until November, with teams competing in home and away games.