Seven games, 20 goals, none conceded – England close in on perfection

England have cruised through World Cup qualifying, winning all seven of their games and scoring 20 unanswered goals, setting several records and leaving them on the cusp of another.

If Thomas Tuchel’s team beat Albania in Sunday’s final qualifier (17:00 GMT) and keep a clean sheet, they will become the first European side to play at least six qualifiers and win them all without conceding.

A clean sweep of victories – regardless of goals conceded – is also a rare achievement. Excluding the early years of the World Cup, when teams often played just a handful of preliminary matches, only four European countries have finished with a 100% winning record.

Germany were the last side to do so on the way to the 2018 tournament, though they went on to suffer a shock early exit in Russia. Spain and the Netherlands, who met in the 2010 final, both qualified for South Africa in perfect style, as did West Germany for the 1982 tournament.

The Three Lions have qualified for eight consecutive World Cups since missing out on USA ’94, with participation increasingly regarded as a formality by supporters – but that has not always been the case.

They missed out on back-to-back World Cups in the 1970s and only narrowly came through tough but memorable qualifiers to book their place in 1990, 1998 and 2002.

Terry Butcher’s battling display against Sweden in 1989, when his shirt was left drenched in blood by a head wound, and David Beckham’s stoppage-time free-kick against Greece in 2001 are still remembered as iconic England moments.

England have not lost a World Cup qualifier since 2009, when they were beaten 1-0 in Ukraine.

That defeat was not costly as Fabio Capello’s side went into the game already assured of their spot in South Africa, though it prevented them from finishing with 10 wins from 10.

Since then England have been utterly dominant, avoiding defeat in 38 consecutive World Cup qualifiers and winning all but eight of them.

Tuchel’s players have an opportunity in Albania this weekend to equal the European record for most competitive wins in a row without conceding a goal.

England’s adeptness at shutting out the opposition is in no small part thanks to goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, who has established two records for his country this year.

The 31-year-old has now kept 10 England clean sheets in a row, including friendlies, surpassing the previous record for a keeper of seven – which he jointly held with legendary 1966 World Cup winner Gordon Banks.

England’s defensive parsimony is allied with attacking potency – they have scored in 19 matches in a row for the first time in more than a century.

The current run, during which England have amassed 46 goals, started with Jude Bellingham’s overhead kick to equalise in stoppage time against Slovakia at Euro 2024.

And, finally, England could end 2025 with their highest win percentage in a calendar year since 1946.

The Three Lions would make it nine victories from 10 games by beating Albania on Sunday. If they manage that, it will be only the third time England have ended a year with a 90% or better win percentage since the start of the 20th Century.