The 2025/26 season for England and Thomas Tuchel ends, the FA will hope, with the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA and the culmination of an 18-month spell in charge for the man hired to get the Three Lions over the final hurdle and lift a major trophy after near misses in recent years under Gareth Southgate.
It starts with a qualifying double-header in early September, Andorra making the trip to Villa Park where a sell-out crowd will hopefully lift England to a livelier performance than they one they produced in Barcelona against the same opponents at the end of last season.
Win as expected and England will head to Belgrade to face Serbia in what is likely to be the decisive game in Group K, avoid defeat in a hostile atmosphere and Tuchel should be able to start planning the logistics of next summer.
October sees a Wembley friendly against Wales and a trip to Riga to face Latvia before two final qualification games in November, at hoome to Serbia and away to Albania.
If all goes to plan and England top their group then the March 2026 international window will not be needed for a play-off and some high-profile friendlies can be arranged.
FIFA's International Match Calendar then allows for the release of players from 25 May 2026 (unless involved in confedaration club tournaments such as the Champions League) ahead of the World Cup.
The tournament itself begins on 11 June in Mexico and ends, hopefully with England involved, with the final on Sunday 19 July at the New York/New Jersey Stadium.
