Latvia take on the visitors England in a World Cup 2026 qualification match. The match will be played on Tuesday, October 14th at Daugavas stadions (Riga).
Latvia traditionally struggles in football. The “Red and Whites” made their European Championship debut two decades ago and actually performed decently there. But they have never managed to replicate that success — it remains a rare bright spot amid years of modest, often disappointing results. In last year’s Nations League, the team finished bottom of a group with North Macedonia, Armenia, and the Faroe Islands, collecting only four points. Now Paolo Nicolato’s men have a realistic goal: simply to avoid finishing last. They began that mission by defeating Andorra in their opening match. Afterwards, they managed draws against Azerbaijan (in a friendly) and even Albania. Playing again against the weakest opponent at home, they let their advantage slip away, finishing 2-2 with Andorra. Recently, Latvia’s defensive struggles have been apparent — they’ve conceded in eight straight competitive games. Still, the team shows flashes of discipline, especially in home fixtures where they tend to fight until the final whistle.
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England had a long and relatively successful run under Gareth Southgate. However, both of their European Championship final appearances ended in heartbreak, and the manager was often criticized for being overly cautious despite having attacking stars like Kane leading the line. After his departure, England nearly lost the top spot in their Nations League group to Greece — both sides exchanged away victories. Since Thomas Tuchel took over, England’s pragmatic style has persisted. They remain defensively solid but sometimes lack creativity in the final third. Still, the team looks confident again — their 5-0 away thrashing of Serbia in September and a convincing 3-0 friendly win over Wales showed signs of renewed attacking balance. Tuchel has found consistency in midfield control, with Bellingham and Rice forming a reliable core that dictates tempo and transitions effectively.
The teams met for the first time in March — and the British side crushed the underdog at home. It’s clear that the only question is how convincingly the visitors will win. It’s worth noting that the “Three Lions” are gradually moving away from their pragmatic habits — let’s take England with a -2.5 goals handicap.
Prediction for the match: England to win with -2.5 handicap.
