England's Narrow Win Raises More Questions Than Answers
No one at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona was fooled by the final score. Yes, England walked away with three points after a 1-0 win against Andorra in their FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier. But for the 20,000 fans in attendance—and millions watching at home—it felt more like a warning than a celebration.
Harry Kane got the job done with a neat finish five minutes after half-time. That’s the only real moment that separated the two sides. England—packed to the gills with Premier League stars—looked lost for much of the night, circling the ball around Andorra’s stubborn defensive wall without ever really breaking it down. The underdogs, ranked a whopping 156 spots below England, stuck rigidly to a deep, compact setup and waited for frustration to boil over.
Dominance Without Danger Under Tuchel
This isn’t the first time England have spent 90 minutes camped in the opposition half but found themselves booed off the pitch. Manager Thomas Tuchel asked for patience and control, but the result felt flat. The Three Lions hogged 82% of possession but rarely looked threatening, with most attacks breaking down in the final third.
Tuchel’s tactical gameplan revolved around quick ball movement and using the width offered by Bukayo Saka and Luke Shaw. But the spark just never lit. Phil Foden tried to poke holes with clever passes, but Andorra’s five-man backline had all the answers. Each cross or cutback fizzled out or was blocked by a sea of red shirts.
Desperation showed as boos rang out at both half-time and full-time. Recent memories aren’t kind: it felt eerily similar to the Steve McClaren and Fabio Capello eras, when insipid displays in qualifiers led to tournament heartbreak. Those campaigns often started with flat performances where England’s stars looked short of ideas and sharpness, only for criticism to snowball as tournaments approached.
When Tuchel finally turned to his bench in the 79th minute, bringing on Declan Rice and Anthony Gordon, things barely changed. Rice provided energy but had little space to shine, while Gordon’s directness was swallowed up by Andorra’s discipline. At no point did England look likely to add to their slender lead.
Despite the result, England remain well positioned in their qualification group. But fans, analysts, and former England internationals have already begun questioning whether Tuchel’s conservative style can unlock international defenses or only stall against weaker teams. The pressure is on—the World Cup qualifier campaign will only get tougher from here, and fans won’t accept results without performances to match.