England’s 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign gets underway at Wembley on Friday with a home tie against Albania (7.45pm; TV: Live on ITV). It’s also the first game of the Thomas Tuchel era as the new manager looks to build on the solid record delivered by his predecessor Gareth Southgate.
It may seem like a routine home win but the Albanians were present at Euro 2024 and may be more of a threat than their FIFA World Ranking of 65 suggests. What do the bookies make of this fixture? Read on for our full match preview with betting tips.
It’s no surprise that England are heavy favourites for this game, with best industry odds of just 1/6 available on the home win. The draw is on offer at a top price of 17/1, while a win for Albania is out at 18/1. In the outright World Cup winner betting market, England are 7/1 while Albania are out at 1000/1. So that tells you the level on disparity on paper.
England made it all the way to the final of Euro 2024 and the new manager has another strong squad at his disposal ahead of Friday’s game. Albania qualified for the Euros which is an achievement in itself. This was only the second time in the nation’s history that they’d made it through to a major tournament.
While England should claim all three points, it’s worth remembering that at the Euros, Albania drew with Croatia and took the lead against Italy in the first minute of the game. If there’s any complacency in the camp, the hosts might just slip up.
Harry Kane looks set to resume his role as captain and England’s main goal threat. The Bayern Munich striker leads the way at the top of the first goalscorer market at 11/5. Kane’s eventual replacement at Spurs, Dominic Solanke, is next at 7/2, but he seems more likely to start on the subs’ bench.
England players continue to dominate the first scorer bet with Jude Bellingham, Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden all on offer at 5/1. Behind the main attackers, Curtis Jones may attract some interest at 9/1. The Liverpool midfielder scored on his debut against Greece, but he’s another player who may well start the game on the bench.
Albania’s Armando Broja carried their shortest odds at 18/1. The Chelsea striker, on loan at Everton, will be familiar to English fans but he has been injured since the start of the year and is probably best avoided. Also at 18/1 is Rey Manaj, a former Watford striker who has scored eight goals in 39 senior internationals.
Away from player betting, Both Teams to Score is available for Friday night’s game at a top price of 7/4. At odds of 4/9, the ‘no’ option on BTTS carries the shorter numbers this time.
Moving across to Total Goals betting and a stake Over the 2.5 line is currently listed at a general 4/7. By lifting that to Over 3.5 goals, the odds come in at 13/8. If you’re expecting a dull 90 minutes at Wembley, Under 2.5 goals could be your best option at 13/10.
We’ll finish the odds round up with some Correct Score suggestions. If you’re in line with the bookies who are expecting a comfortable night for England, the 4-1 home win is worth a look at 18/1. A shock, 2-1 victory for the Albanians can be backed at a mighty 60/1, while the 1-1 draw looks short by comparison at 14/1.
England vs Albania Betting Tips Verdict for this World Cup Qualifier Preview
At the very least, Albania should offer a greater fight than the match odds suggest. Ahead of Euro 2024, they won their qualifying group, losing just once in a section that also included Poland and the Czech Republic. England should win, but the team and their new manager should be aware of their opponents’ improving record across the last three years.
Those win odds of 1/6 offer little interest, so how do we get more value out of this game? We could back England to win to nil at 13/20, but we suspect the Albanians have the ability to find the net at Wembley. Friday’s visitors scored 12 goals in eight Euro 2024 qualifying games, followed by three in three against strong sides at the tournament itself.
They may be without Armando Broja, but goals tend to be shared throughout the team, and there could be threats from the central defence onwards.
All of this leaves us with Both Teams to Score as our pick from Friday’s game. England’s defence has also been vulnerable at times and we expect the visitors to take advantage. The game itself should end with a win for the new boss, but there could be a few bumps along the way for Thomas Tuchel and his men. Regards the betting tips for this preview, we suggest this one:
Matt Harris is a football & golf writer for Just Bookies. Other sports in his portfolio of specialities include cricket. Matt has contributed to innumerable large organisations and media brands. These include: Betfair, BetVictor, USA Betting & Unibet. 