Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: England, FIFA World Cup
Josh Lawless
England have joined an exclusive club by achieving a rare World Cup feat in their 2-0 victory against Albania on Sunday.
Thomas Tuchel's men travelled to Tirana for their final World Cup qualifier having won every one of their previous seven qualifying fixtures - their campaign so perfect that they did not concede a single goal.
Despite some changes and experimenting in key areas for the final game, undefeated England kept another clean sheet in hostile conditions to record a record 11th competitive win in a row in the Albanian capital.
Captain and record goalscorer Harry Kane scored a brace, first breaking the deadlock by stabbing home from a Bukayo Saka corner for his fifth goal against Albania and 77th strike for England.
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He then moved to 78 with a fine header from a delightfully whipped Marcus Rashford cross from the left flank eight minutes later. That goal saw Kane celebrate an incredible personal achievement as he has now scored more goals for England than the late Pele did for Brazil in a glorious international career.
Meanwhile, the clean sheet meant England matched an achievement from a different crop of Three Lions stars ahead of the 1990 World Cup, where Bobby Robson's men kept a clean sheet in all six of their games - winning three and drawing the same amount.
They then went on to finish fourth in the tournament in Italy, losing to winners West Germany in the semi-finals and losing to the hosts in the third place play-off.
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Fellow European nations Italy and Belgium also failed to concede a goal in qualifying back in 1974 - though the latter actually didn't qualify as they missed out on goal difference.
This team, however, did so playing eight fixtures and by winning every single one. In CAF qualifying, Tunisia also achieved the impressive feat ahead of next year's tournament - scoring 22 goals and conceding zero in 10 games.
European champions Spain could yet join the club if they shut out Turkey in their final World Cup qualifier in Seville on Tuesday.
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England, with just one defeat under Tuchel, will find out their opponents and schedule for the 48-team showpiece in the United States, Mexico and Canada when the draw is made in Washington, D.C, on December 5.