England’s journey through the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers has been nothing short of dominant, setting a remarkable standard for European teams. With seven matches played, the Three Lions have secured a perfect record, winning every single game. Their offensive prowess has been evident, netting an impressive 20 goals, while their defense has remained impenetrable, not conceding a single goal throughout the campaign.
As they approach their final qualifying fixture, a crucial question looms: can England maintain this flawless perfection? Should they defeat Albania in their Group K final qualifier on November 16th and once again keep a clean sheet, they would achieve a historic feat. This would mark them as the first European team to successfully navigate a World Cup qualifying campaign with a 100% win rate and an impeccable defensive record.
Historically, only a handful of European nations have completed regional World Cup qualifiers with a perfect winning streak. Germany achieved this en route to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, though their tournament run ended in a surprise early exit. Spain and the Netherlands both went into the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa with perfect qualification records, as did West Germany for the 1982 tournament. However, a key distinction for all these past teams is that none managed to complete their perfect winning campaigns without conceding a goal. England now stands on the precipice of surpassing these historical precedents.
The 2026 European Qualifiers have also seen other teams showcase strong performances. Norway, for instance, has also secured all seven of their victories to date. However, unlike England, they have conceded goals during their impressive run. Spain, under manager Luis de la Fuente, has demonstrated formidable defensive strength, keeping four clean sheets in their six Group E matches. Their final two crucial matches are against Georgia on November 15th and Turkey three days later. Norway, with star striker Erling Haaland leading their attack, faces Italy in their Group I final, aiming for an eighth victory to secure an automatic spot in what would be their first World Cup appearance in 28 years.
