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Thomas Tuchel’s England qualified for the 2026 World Cup after beating Latvia on Tuesday night.

Goals from Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane, Eberechi Eze, and Latvia defender Maksims Tonisevs into his own net handed the Three Lions a comprehensive 5-0 victory in Riga, on what was yet another superb attacking display under the German.

Djed Spence was praised by Roy Keane before the Latvia match, and the full-back lived up to the former Manchester United man’s comments with a composed display.

Tottenham will take on Aston Villa on Sunday, but the full-back will likely be allowed to celebrate his second consecutive England start after a brilliant week for the 25-year-old.

Here, Tottenham News outlines the Spurs players in contention for next year’s England World Cup squad.

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Djed Spence

There is no guarantee of a World Cup call-up for Spence, but his recent performances are sure to have caught Tuchel‘s eye.

Against Wales, the defender was composed and resolute, holding off and dribbling out of everything that was thrown his way.

Spence fired a joke at Spurs teammate Brennan Johnson after the game, with the Wales international unable to beat the defender.

And against Latvia, the 25-year-old continued to impress, with the right-back providing the cross that led to England’s fourth goal.

A World Cup call-up is certainly not guaranteed. Trent Alexander-Arnold is expected to return to the squad after recovering from injury, and the likes of Ben White and Reece James will be in and around.

But Spence has the advantage of being able to impress Tuchel within the England camp, and the full-back is surely doing that.

James Maddison

After suffering an injury to his anterior cruciate ligament in pre-season, James Maddison does not have more than an outside chance of making the World Cup squad.

The midfielder is expected to be missing until the final months of the season, by which time Tuchel’s squad will be all but picked.

The likes of Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Eze, and Cole Palmer stand in the way of Maddison, although the Englishman will retain a sliver of hope.

It is worth reminding ourselves just how good Maddison is on his day. As per FBref, he ranks in the top one percentile for players in his position across Europe’s top five leagues for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.47).

He is also in the top one per cent for assists per 90 (0.33), albeit those figures over the past 12 months are skewed by how little he has played.

Situations can make anything possible in football, and should England experience several injuries within their midfield, and Maddison hit the ground running on his return, Tuchel may revisit the Tottenham man.

Dominic Solanke

There is a clear position available in the England squad for Dominic Solanke, should he take the initiative to grab it.

While Kane will be selected through the middle for most, if not all, of the Three Lions’ World Cup fixtures, there is few options after him.

Ollie Watkins would appear to be the obvious choice, but the striker has been in woeful form for Aston Villa this season so far, and his selection is by no means a guarantee.

Ivan Toney travelled to the Euros, but has fallen out of favour following his move to Saudi Arabia, and Liam Delap is injured.

Solanke, too, is injured, but the striker is expected to return before the end of the year and has a real chance to put himself into contention if he can muster up some strong form.

The 28-year-old has the ability – he scored 19 Premier League goals for Bournemouth during the 2023-24 season, and 16 across all competitions for Tottenham last season.

But now is the time to show it, and prove that his £64million price tag was indeed warranted.

Tottenham have been on a mission to disprove the critics who rightly gathered after their Premier League performance last season.

Thomas Frank was hired by Spurs in June, and the manager has sought to complete a rebuild at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

A strong start to the season has built on a positive summer, in which the likes of Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus were acquired to bolster the Dane’s options.

Tottenham beat Leeds United 2-1 before the international break, leaving them third in the Premier League table.

And one player in particular has caught the eye of Roy Keane in recent months.

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Roy Keane hails Djed Spence’s turnaround at Tottenham

Djed Spence’s good form earned him a second successive England call-up for this international break, and the defender has earned it.

The 25-year-old has taken an interesting path to the first team at Spurs, following his move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2022.

Loans to Stade Rennais, Leeds United and Genoa allowed the defender to gain experience away from the Premier League, before injuries allowed him to finally grab his chance towards the end of last season.

Now, Spence looks to be a key player for Frank, who has deployed the England international from the start in 9 of his 11 matches in charge.

Speaking before England’s match against Latvia on Tuesday, Keane told ITV 1: “I wasn’t sure about him a year or two ago, and I still worry about his defensive side, but he’s maturing and taking these opportunities.“

The stats behind Spence’s Spurs performances

Spence has been dribbled past just twice this season, and is rapidly earning a reputation for his ability to see off his man in a one-versus-one duel.

And on the ball, the England international is equally capable. The defender has completed five dribbles this season so far, and holds an impressively high pass accuracy of 81.2 per cent.

Staggeringly, in Spence’s first-ever England start, against Wales, the defender boasted a 98 per cent pass accuracy from 57 passes.

With 16 duels won and 15 recoveries, Spence is a consistently reliable option for Frank out wide, and holds the unique asset of excelling on both sides.

Due to an injury to Destiny Udogie, the 25-year-old has spent much of the season playing at left-back, but moved over to right-back to cover for Pedro Porro against Wolves.

In some respects, Spence’s career still feels as if it is just starting. The defender is becoming key for both Spurs and England, and his prospects are only looking better and better.

Tottenham will hope to make it consecutive Premier League victories when they welcome Aston Villa to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.

Several Tottenham stars have been on international duty over the break, but Thomas Frank will hope a healthy squad return for club action.

Mohammed Kudus is among the players to enjoy strong performances for their nations in recent days, with the winger continuing to be in sensational form.

The Ghana international scored as Tottenham beat Leeds United 2-1 before the break, but Sunday should provide a more difficult test.

Frank has never beaten Villa manager Unai Emery, with the five previous meetings between the managers ending in three wins for the Spaniard and two draws.

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Simon Hooper appointed for Tottenham vs Aston Villa

The Premier League have announced that Simon Hooper will take charge of Sunday’s match, with Paul Tierney set to serve as the video assistant referee.

Among the league’s most experienced referees, Hooper has had his fair share of controversial moments over the years.

Most notably, the referee was on the pitch during the hugely controversial denial of Luis Diaz’s goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2023.

The winger raced through on goal and slotted into the bottom corner, but was flagged offside. The video assistant referee, believing the goal had been given, confirmed the decision, despite revealing that Diaz had been onside.

Of course, Hooper was none the wiser to what had happened, but the referee can take more responsibility for another controversial moment that happened just two months later.

With the scores locked at 3-3 in the final moments between Spurs and Manchester City, Erling Haaland retrieved the ball and shook off a late sliding tackle from Emerson Royal.

Hooper initially played the advantage, but inexplicably blew his whistle after the Norwegian had played Jack Grealish through on goal.

The Manchester City players surrounded the referee, but to no avail. The scores would end level.

Tottenham have struggled under Hooper in recent years

Hooper has often been accused of bias towards Spurs, led by both key moments, but the North London club have actually struggled under the referee in recent seasons.

In each of the last three occasions in which the official has overseen Spurs games, the Lilywhites have ended up on the losing side.

This season’s loss to Bournemouth was the latest, with losses also coming against the Cherries last season, and Arsenal.

In fact, Spurs have won just five of the 12 games they have played when officiated by Hooper, suggesting that the decisions may not necessarily go their way on Sunday.

Mikey Moore is a player that is highly regarded by everyone at Tottenham, but the youngster’s time at Rangers has not gone quite to plan.

Moore joined Rangers on loan for the 2025-26 season, but his debut was delayed until he turned 18 on 11 August.

Rangers sacked Russell Martin nine days ago and have yet to bring in a replacement, leaving Moore somewhat in limbo as his Ibrox career has yet to truly get going.

There has even been talk of Tottenham recalling Moore from his Rangers loan spell in January and sending him elsewhere.

Mikey Moore set for second chance at Rangers after Russell Martin sack

Moore has played 10 times for Rangers across all competitions, starting seven of those matches.

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The youngster has yet to get on the scoresheet, though he did assist a goal in a recent Viaplay Cup clash.

While Moore’s situation is not ideal, with Kevin Muscat looking the most likely to succeed Martin at Ibrox, John Wenham insists it is not as bad as it seems.

Lilywhite Rose owner Wenham, speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, expects Spurs to hold talks with their Rangers counterparts when a new boss is in place.

“He’s in a difficult environment, make no mistake about that at the moment, but he has still made 10 appearances,” Wenham said.

“He’s still got an assist. You don’t see many 18 year olds playing every week for Rangers. Yes, their fans might be giving him a hard time, but Tottenham will be seeing this all as development of Moore’s character.

“Challenges that come with football are not always plain sailing. It’s not always easy. Many of our own players have had difficult times and then come out of it stronger and better at the other end.

“For now, I’m sure it’ll be business as usual, and they’ll wait to have those conversations with whoever the new manager is.”

Rangers are back in Scottish Premiership action on Saturday at home to Dundee United.

Moore learning all the time at Rangers

Tottenham cannot afford to panic over Moore’s situation at Rangers. As Wenham says, not many 18 year olds play regularly for a club of Rangers’ stature.

Make no mistake about it, the Gers are a massive club and also present Moore with a chance to play European football, albeit in the Europa League and not Champions League.

Rangers fans have not been won over by Moore, but that is all part of the learning experience. The hope is that, under a new manager, Moore can soon find his feet and bang in the goals.

Nobody is expecting Moore to become a world-beater during this year away from North London, but hopefully he shows just why he is so highly regarded between now and May.

Thomas Frank has decisions to make ahead of Tottenham’s clash with Aston Villa.

Tottenham have learned their early team news ahead of the Villa game on Sunday, with Randal Kolo Muani back in contention to play.

Frank may opt for the same Tottenham team that beat Leeds 2-1 in the Lilywhites’ last Premier League game, as Mohammed Kudus establishes himself as a key player.

But with Tottenham and Kudus starting the season so well, Brennan Johnson has found minutes hard to come by this campaign, and his international performances won’t have done him any favours.

Brennan Johnson did nothing for Wales

Johnson came under fire while under Ange Postecoglou’s tenure, and midway through last season, he appeared to deactivate his Instagram account.

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The decision appeared to pay dividends for Johnson as he couldn’t stop scoring afterwards.

Johnson started the season well under Frank, scoring two goals in the opening two Premier League games of the season, but now cannot find his way back into the Spurs starting line-up.

The winger did nothing for his country and their hopes of World Cup qualification, as he lacked quality and conviction while away from Tottenham.

Johnson’s lack of pace hasn’t seemed to help him, and with him struggling for Wales, how on earth is he going to impress at Tottenham again?

Tottenham may sell Brennan Johnson in January

Joe Lewis’ £100m cash boost will be huge for Tottenham, as Frank will surely have more money to play with in January.

Johnson is naturally a right-winger, and with Kudus performing so well, it’s hard to see him getting a consistent spot in the starting side anytime soon.

Kudus, for example, is a player whom Frank worked with Tottenham in identifying as part of his plans; he had no choice with Johnson.

It may be that Frank just doesn’t feel like Johnson suits his system, and if so, he should be moved on in January.

Tottenham are set to face off against Aston Villa on Sunday as they look to continue their fine start to the Premier League season.

With the international break now set to come to an end, plenty of Spurs players have enjoyed a successful two weeks away from the North London club.

Mohammed Kudus has been heavily praised for his performances for Ghana.

On top of this, Lucas Bergvall has impressed despite Sweden’s misfortunes.

Now, with a struggling Aston Villa on the horizon, Thomas Frank is looking to pick up a valuable three points.

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Thomas Frank looking to pick up first victory against Unai Emery

Frank’s arrival at Spurs has been a revelation.

While the sacking of Ange Postecoglou was controversial at Tottenham, it has no doubt proven to the right decision so far.

Apart from a 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Spurs have mainly been impressive, and could arguably be on more points.

Now, Frank will be looking to end a terrible record against Unai Emery on Sunday, when the two managers meet.

In five matches against the Spaniard, the Dane is yet to pick up a win, drawing twice and losing three times.

In fact, Emery is one of two managers that Frank has never beaten, having faced them five times or more, with Brendan Rodgers being the other.

Tottenham’s head-to-head record against Aston Villa

While Frank might not have the best record against Emery, Tottenham do not have a great recent record against Villa either.

In their last seven meetings, Villa have come out on top five times, with Spurs winning the other two.

This includes Tottenham’s 2-0 defeat in the FA Cup last season, in what was a poor display.

As a result, Frank will be determined to pick up a vital win on Sunday and end these terrible streaks.

Tottenham go extra mile to have Christian Romero vs Aston Villa as added costs emerge

Tottenham will be desperate to have Christian Romero against Aston Villa on Sunday.

Surprisingly, Tottenham are underdogs against Villa, as a win could take the Lilywhites to the summit of the Premier League.

Thomas Frank has impressed for Tottenham, and will be hoping his stars make it back from their international travels in one piece.

Thankfully for him, his Tottenham players have been performing well, with Xavi Simons being hailed for the Netherlands.

However, emerging updates have revealed what Spurs have done to ensure Romero’s availability for Sunday, as Joe Lewis has had to dip his hands in his pockets for the Argentine star.

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Tottenham pay for Christian Romero charter flight ahead of Aston Villa clash

Romero has been a rock at the back again for Spurs this season, and boasts a solid rate of winning 67 per cent of his ground duels.

That also includes the defender winning 2.1 tackles per game and completing 3.6 clearances on average.

During last year’s September international break, Tottenham refused to pay for Romero to return on a charter flight ahead of the North London Derby, which resulted in a dispute.

Romero felt that the Lilywhites were at a disadvantage due to Arsenal players arriving back at base earlier than some Tottenham players.

Now, according to The Telegraph, Tottenham have gone the extra mile to avoid the same situation this time.

“Spurs have paid for Romero to return on a charter flight this time around, which means the club cannot be accused of handing Villa an advantage before Sunday’s match,” they wrote.

“The move also means Romero cannot be left annoyed by his travel itinerary, having been made Tottenham’s captain and the club’s highest earner after signing a new contract during the summer.”

This time, Tottenham seems fully prepared for an important clash against an Aston Villa side that are on top form.

Romero is pivotal to Thomas Frank

Under Ange Postecoglou, Spurs were very leaky at the back, but since Frank‘s arrival, Romero has been at the heart of a solid defence.

Romero has featured regularly as part of a double centre-back pairing with Micky van de Ven, only conceding five goals in their seven games.

Only Arsenal can better that record, so far.

There are times when Romero loses his head, but the majority of his performances make up for his flaws.

If Tottenham are to have any success this season with Frank, it starts with a formidable defence, as captain Romero will inevitably play a huge role against Villa on Sunday.

‘Lots of energy’ – Lucas Bergvall praised despite embarrassing defeat away from Tottenham

Lucas Bergvall has continued to prove to be an exciting young player at Tottenham.

The midfielder no doubt has plenty of potential and has continuously showcased his ability at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Even after being dropped to a rotation role under Thomas Frank, a series of good performances have established Bergvall as a crucial player at Tottenham.

Now, with the young midfielder on international duty, the past week has been another chance for the 19-year-old to prove himself on the world stage.

Lucas Bergvall praised despite Sweden suffering defeat

Bergvall was one of many Tottenham players to be called up for international duty in October as the World Cup qualifiers continue.

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Sweden are looking to reach the summer tournament, boasting a team full of multiple Premier League stars, including Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres.

However, it has been a difficult month for the Scandinavian nation, with Bergvall being criticised as they lost 2-0 to Switzerland last week.

Now, their World Cup dreams are all but over, as they lost 1-0 to Kosovo on Monday, leaving them bottom of their group, six points off the playoff spot with two games left.

Yet, despite being subbed off at half-time, Bergvall was one of the few players to come out of the game with any credit.

Fotbollskanalen on 13 October gave the midfielder a 2/5, commenting: “Flashed a few times in midfield and was then difficult to take the ball away from.

“Best of the midfielders in the first half. Several good long throw-ins. Came off at half-time.”

In comparison, Expressen on 13 October put: “At least not one of the worst players on the pitch in the first 45 minutes.

“Lots of energy and some nice moves, but also lost a couple of unnecessary balls. Sacrificed at half-time when changes were necessary.”

How good was Bergvall in Sweden vs Kosovo?

According to Sofascore on 14 October, Bergvall was easily one of Sweden’s best players despite being hooked at half-time.

The midfielder was creatively sound, creating one big chance, while also having an 88 per cent passing accuracy.

As a result, he was awarded a 7.3 rating, the second highest of any Sweden player.

Hopefully, after the international break, Bergvall is able to build on this performance for Tottenham ahead of a tricky run of fixtures.

Radu Dragusin’s Tottenham future could be in doubt as he edges through the final stages of his return from injury.

The Romanian has been out of action since he sustained an ACL injury in the 3-0 Europa League victory over Elfsborg back in January, and has been working hard to return to full fitness in the near future.

Tottenham stood in the way of Dragusin’s international call-up recently, in a bid to try and help him successfully negotiate the final stages of his recovery.

The centre-back is yet to play any part under Thomas Frank so far, and his return to full fitness may not bring the increase in minutes that many people are expecting.

Tottenham won’t want to put immediate pressure on Radu Dragusin

Dragusin is now nearing a return for Tottenham, but Frank will certainly ensure that he isn’t rushed back into action immediately.

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ACL injuries can be notoriously difficult to recover from, and the fact that the 24-year-old hasn’t played any football for all of nine months will mean that he will still need to be managed carefully.

Tottenham will have high hopes of achieving something in the Premier League this season, but that brings additional pressure to every single league game.

With that in mind, ex-Spurs scout Bryan King – speaking exclusively to Tottenham News – believes that Dragusin could be sent out on loan in January in order for the Lilywhites to gauge his fitness levels.

“I think Tottenham will be keen to farm him out somewhere and check on his fitness without him bringing pressure on their team,” King said.

“Spurs would be taking a chance on somebody who has been out with a long-term injury, and maybe it would be good for them to see him perform at another club, either in the Premier League or in Europe.

“I think they might try and put him out on loan in January to see how his fitness is, and they could always bring him back if he’s looking good. What he’s got to do now is prove his fitness. He needs more than reserve football to do that.”

Spurs’ young talents may cause a problem for Radu Dragusin

Luka Vuskovic is already hitting the headlines away from Tottenham, as he continues to make a name for himself during his loan spell in the Bundesliga with Hamburg.

The 18-year-old is a hugely exciting prospect for the N17 outfit, and if he continues to develop as expected, then he is surely a shoo-in to start in the Premier League within the next few seasons.

Kota Takai is also extremely highly rated, and if those two continue to develop as expected, then it will spell bad news for the likes of Dragusin and Kevin Danso.

Spurs will always need cover for the impressive pairing of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, but those roles could quickly become filled by the youngsters if things go to plan.

Thomas Frank to sit up and take notice as remarkable Pedro Porro stat emerges

Tottenham have had a busy October so far as their return to Premier League action nears.

News of Joe Lewis’ £100m cash boost for Tottenham came as a delight to many connected to the Lilywhites, as plans have started to emerge for the January transfer window.

It hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows for Spurs as Thomas Frank was dealt a blow with Yves Bissouma being stretchered off while on international duty.

Tottenham have, however, had multiple stars perform for their respective nations, with one man’s performances not getting enough attention.

Pedro Porro leads chances created charts after performance for Spain vs Georgia

Pedro Porro is key for Tottenham, and has been a standout in the Premier League since arriving at the Lilywhites in 2023.

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Porro was hailed for his performance against Georgia on Saturday, but emerging stats are showcasing just how good the right-back actually was.

According to Squawka, no Spain player has created more chances (six) or more big chances (four) in a 2026 World Cup qualifying game than Pedro Porro against Georgia.

Porro now tallies a staggering 75 per cent pass accuracy in the opposition’s half so far in Spain’s 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, with an astonishing average rating of 8.0.

However, it’s not just stats for his country that are flattering, as data shows his excellence for Tottenham.

Porro only trails Mohammed Kudus in key passes for Spurs

There’s an argument to say that without Porro, Frank‘s start with Tottenham would never have been as good as it has been.

Porro has featured in six of Tottenham’s seven Premier League games, and conveniently, his side struggled without him on the field against bottom-of-the-league Wolves.

With Tottenham facing an in-form Aston Villa next in the Premier League, Porro will be at the top of his game for a crucial showdown.