Serbia Clash with England in Crucial 2026 World Cup Qualifier: Match Preview, Bold Predictions and Starting XI Revealed
England will be eyeing the 2026 World Cup as they look to claim a positive result against Serbia on Tuesday evening, with Thomas Tuchel's squad making the trip to Belgrade.
These two countries have met just once since Serbia's independence in the 2000s, with that encounter taking place at the beginning of Euro 2024 last summer. A first-half strike from Jude Bellingham made the difference in Gelsenkirchen during that match.
Though England have switched managers following that triumph, former Yugoslav football legend Dragan Stojković continues to lead the Serbian national squad. Stojković's team certainly possesses talent, though they've often failed to deliver when it matters most.
Following their underwhelming European Championship showing, Serbia completed a mediocre UEFA Nations League run and have begun World Cup qualification with two victories and one draw. They represent England's toughest challenge in Group K, though they sit five points behind the Three Lions ahead of Tuesday's qualifying match.
Tuchel's England side have won all four matches without hitting top form.
Here's Sports Illustrated's preview of the encounter.
What Time Does Serbia vs. England Kick-Off?
Serbia vs. England Head-to-Head Record (All Games)
Current Form (All Competitions)
Serbia | England |
|---|---|
Latvia 0–1 Serbia - 06/09/25 | England 2–0 Andorra - 06/09/25 |
Serbia 3–0 Andorra - 10/06/25 | England 1–3 Senegal - 10/06/25 |
Albania 0–0 Serbia - 07/06/25 | Andorra 0–1 England - 07/06/25 |
Serbia 2–0 Austria - 23/03/25 | England 3–0 Latvia - 24/03/25 |
Austria 1–1 Serbia - 20/03/25 | England 2–0 Albania - 21/03/25 |
How to Watch Serbia vs. England on TV and Live Stream
Country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
United States | ViX |
United Kingdom | ITVX, STV Player, ITV 1 UK, STV Scotland |
Canada | DAZN Canada, Amazon Prime Video |
Mexico | Sky+, Sky Sports Mexico |
Serbia Team News
The home side are expected to deploy a 3-5-2 formation on Tuesday evening, with Stojković potentially selecting a front two of Aleksandar Mitrović and Dušan Vlahović.
Leading scorer Mitrović came off the substitutes' bench against Latvia, while ex-Real Madrid forward Luka Jović started alongside Vlahović in the attacking line.
Serbia have no new fitness issues following Saturday's narrow victory, and Stojković is expected to make minimal changes to his lineup. Fulham's Saša Lukić, Bournemouth's Đorđe Petrović and Nottingham Forest's Nikola Milenković, one of last season's top Premier League defenders, will all feature against well-known opponents.
Serbia Predicted Lineup vs. England
Serbia predicted lineup vs. England (5-4-1): Petrović; Milenković, Eraković, Pavlović; Živković, Gudelj, Lukić, Samardžić, Kostić; Mitrović, Vlahović
England Team News
England are missing Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham through injury, while Adam Wharton and regular centre-back John Stones have also withdrawn from Tuchel's squad.
The German manager fielded a strong starting eleven against Andorra over the weekend, with Harry Kane and Declan Rice both included from kick-off. Kane surprisingly played the full 90 minutes, and England's record goalscorer is set to spearhead the attack once more in Belgrade.
Elliot Anderson made his debut last time out, with the Nottingham Forest midfielder impressing at Villa Park. He may keep his spot alongside Rice in midfield.
Tuchel was critical of his attacking players on Saturday, suggesting there could be alterations behind Kane. Morgan Gibbs-White and Anthony Gordon might earn starting berths ahead of Eberechi Eze and Marcus Rashford, respectively.
England Predicted Lineup vs. Serbia
England predicted lineup vs. Serbia (4-2-3-1): Pickford; James, Guehi, Burn, Lewis-Skelly; Anderson, Rice; Madueke, Gibbs-White, Gordon; Kane.
Serbia vs. England Score Prediction
England have cruised through qualification without much excitement or drama. Saturday's 2–0 victory over Andorra was especially uninspiring, though we've endured such tedium in similar qualifiers for years.
Tuesday presents a much sterner test, with a physically imposing Serbia proving difficult opponents to face. They're reasonably organized under Stojković, though some may believe the current manager has remained in position too long.
Both sides are defensively solid, and their recent form suggests the backlines could dominate proceedings in Belgrade. All things considered, this appears destined to be a tedious battle of endurance, with England happy to settle for a draw.