England have secured their place at the 2026 World Cup in North America with a dominant 5-0 victory over Latvia, but the match was also notable for the playful banter between the travelling fans and England manager Thomas Tuchel. The Three Lions' boss laughed off chants directed his way, a response to his comments about the atmosphere during the recent friendly against Wales.

England cruised to victory in Riga, with goals from Anthony Gordon, a Harry Kane double, a Maksims Tonisevs own goal, and a late strike from Eberechi Eze. The win means England have qualified for their eighth successive World Cup and are the first European team to secure their place at the tournament.

However, the atmosphere surrounding the match was initially focused on Tuchel's previous remarks. Following England's 3-0 win over Wales, Tuchel had described the Wembley atmosphere as "silent," noting that he could only hear the Welsh fans. This prompted a reaction from England supporters who travelled to Latvia.

Almost immediately after kickoff, the England fans responded with chants such as "Thomas Tuchel, we'll sing when we want" and "Are we loud enough for you?". Tuchel, spotted smiling and gesturing a thumbs-up, acknowledged the fans' humour.

Asked about the chants after the game by ITV Sport, Tuchel responded with good humour. "I got some stick in the first half, but fair enough and well done, good sense of humour and no problem," he said. He also praised the "brilliant support from start to finish".

Kane echoed Tuchel's sentiment regarding the away support, stating, "I know Thomas came out after the last game and said the fans weren't great, but I don't think you can question our away support ever".

Tuchel further elaborated on his relationship with the fans, emphasizing the importance of their support. "They are here, and I said the support in Serbia was brilliant, and we are very sure the support in America will be absolutely brilliant," he stated. "We need it. It makes such a difference if you go out as a player or as a coach and you see the fans behind the team and singing".

The England manager also highlighted the team's desire to make the fans proud. "We want to make them happy. They should be happy to watch us, and they should be able to identify with how we play. We are on our way to build something," Tuchel said.

On the pitch, Tuchel acknowledged his team’s aggressive play style. "We play very aggressive with a high press. It is a very physical game. Everyone needs to buy into the idea because otherwise you cannot press so high," Tuchel explained.

With qualification secured, Tuchel expressed his delight with the team's performance throughout the qualifying campaign. "We had six matches, and we won all six, and we didn't concede a goal," he noted. "It's a special moment. We stepped up in the last two camps". He also acknowledged the "very aggressive" performance and the positive atmosphere in the dressing room. "Such a good mood in the dressing room," Tuchel added. "It feels very different because it is our dream to go to America, and now we made it with another good performance and top result. Very happy".

Looking ahead, Tuchel remains undecided about whether he will make changes to his squad for the remaining qualifying matches against Serbia and Albania in November. "Now we know we are qualified, I'm not sure if this changes anything in the nomination process," Tuchel said.

For now, however, the focus remains on celebrating England's qualification for the 2026 World Cup and the good-natured exchange between the manager and the fans.