Our prediction for this World Cup 2026 match:
England will be looking to cement top position in Group I when they host Albania to their Wembley Stadium on Friday evening. The Three Lions dropped two points in a 1-1 draw with Hungary, and, no doubt, they will give 100% to return to winning ways in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. Despite struggling to find his goal-scoring touch in the Premier League, Spurs striker Harry Kane is widely expected to lead the line for the hosts, while fit-again Manchester United ace Marcus Rashford returns to the squad.
Tammy Abraham made the cut, but both Jesse Lingard and Jadon Sancho miss out. The Albanians, on the other hand, aim to overtake Poland in second position in the standings. Since both sides are likely to go for a win in Friday’s qualifier, we are tempted to put our money on over 2.5 goals. When the two teams met in Tirana earlier in the process England defeated Albania 2-0.
Highlighted Player (Harry Kane):
Widely regarded as one of England’s best strikers at the moment, Harry Kane enjoyed a meteoric rise at Tottenham Hotspur, scoring 21 Premier League goals during the 2014/2015 campaign to be voted PFA Young Player of the Year.
The highly rated striker went on to surpass that achievement the following season as he helped Tottenham Hotspur mount a serious title challenge for the first time in club’s recent history and he made seamless transition to international football. Kane scored four goals in his first ten appearances for England to prove he was here to stay and at the same time established himself as a first choice striker in Roy Hodgson’s squad ahead of the Euro 2016 finals.
Kane is a modern striker, who is extremely dangerous in the opposition box, but it was some outstanding goals from distance as well as link-up play with teammates that earned him an excellent reputation in world football. Kane is expected to lead both Tottenham and England in years to come, that is if he can resist the lure of top European clubs that continue to cast admiring glances his way.
Highlighted Team (Albania):
The Albanian national football team has represented the country on international stage since 1946, and it is interesting to note that Albania was one of the founding members of UEFA back in 1954. The Eagles have enjoyed very little success in the 20th century, but they managed to show some improvement at the turn of the century and eventually secured their first ever appearance at a major tournament.
Albania qualified for the Euro 2016 finals as they came second in their qualifying group behind Portugal, taking 14 points from 8 matches, with Italian coach Gianni De Biasi at the helm. The Eagles have never qualified for the World Cup finals in 11 attempts, winning mere 14 of 94 World Cup qualifiers.
Former Lazio defender Lorik Cana has worn the captain’s armband over the last few years and he is Albania’s most capped player, while former Chievo forward Erjon Bogdani still holds the record for most goals for the national team, with 18 strikes in 74 appearances.