World Cup qualification started: Cyprus surprises, England celebrates Tuchel's debut!

In the exciting opening phase of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, two teams in Group H performed impressively. Cyprus, supported by a brilliant home game, secured a clear 2-0 win against San Marino. The goals were scored by Pittas in the 55th minute and Kakoullis in the 86th minute, but they took some time to earn the victory. This performance puts Cyprus at the top of the table, as laola1.at reports.

Bosnia-Herzegovina, on the other hand, also celebrated a successful start and won 1-0 away in Romania with an early goal from Gigovic in the 14th minute. Despite the Romanian team's dominant statistics, Bosnia proved efficient and secured an important win in the group. The performance of the Bosnian players could already set the course for the coming games.

England's debut with Tuchel

Meanwhile, Thomas Tuchel celebrated a successful debut as coach of the English national team. England beat Albania 2-0 at Wembley Stadium in their World Cup qualifier. 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly and Bayern star Harry Kane scored the goals in the 20th and 77th minutes respectively. Before kick-off, Tuchel received a warm welcome from fans, highlighting his return to the home of football. Despite the clear superiority, the game was rather disappointing for long stretches, as the Albanians positioned themselves very well defensively, which only rarely allowed England to have compelling chances, like tagesspiegel.de reports.