England will be forced to play one of their World Cup qualifiers away from Wembley because Coldplay has booked the venue for the same date.
At the draw in Zurich, Switzerland, England discovered their challengers for the journey to the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Under new manager Thomas Tuchel, the team will face Serbia, Albania, Latvia, and Andorra throughout 2025. While Wembley will host the majority of home games, the fixture against Andorra on Saturday, 6 September, will need a new venue due to the Coldplay concert.
England fans have alternative ideas
Fans have suggested Everton's new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock as a potential host for this exciting clash—and it's been a long time since England played in Liverpool, which hosted England back in March 2006! Recently, the Three Lions played in cities like Newcastle, Manchester, Wolverhampton, Leicester, and Leeds.
Just three days after battling Andorra, England will head to Serbia, with high hopes of collecting maximum points during Tuchel's first qualifying campaign.
He acknowledged that the draw presents some challenges, but he is full of optimism.
“I have huge respect for Serbia and Albania. They can always surprise they have a strong history of technical football, of emotional players and groups. They have two very famous ex-players as coaches so we should be very aware of that,” said new England boss Tuchel when speaking to Sky Sports.
England will also face Latvia, a new opponent for the England men's team.
“Latvia… England never played them so this is a new experience for all of us. We are huge favourites and we have to qualify, this is where all the focus goes. There can't be any other approach than take it seriously and with respect and make it happen before we can dream the dream,” Tuchel added.
A chance to play in a club stadium
Back when Wembley Stadium was still being constructed, England played all their matches at club stadiums. While Wembley has become the home of the Lions and Lionesses, both have recently taken to playing at club grounds once again.
England women regularly play at stadiums such as Bramall Lane, while England's men's side have started a trend of playing “farewell” games at club stadiums before heading off to a major tournament.
Wembley is an incredible stadium, but it's important that England make sure to maintain a connection to fans in the North of the country. Bramley Moore, St James' Park, The Etihad, we'll take any of these as alternatives to Wembley once in a while.