ENGLAND will sell out Thomas Tuchel’s first game as manager at Wembley – before potentially heading to a venue they haven’t played at in over a century.
Although the World Cup 2026 qualifier against Albania is not until March 21, only a few tickets remain and they are expected to all be sold by next week.
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The news underlines the popularity of England matches at Wembley, even if the opposition is not always top-level.
The Albania gate will be about 86,000.
England are also at home at Wembley three days later in a qualifier against Latvia.
Tuchel’s first away match in charge of the Three Lions will be in Andorra on June 7.
There will also be a home friendly on June 10 but it will not be at the Home of Football.
It could see Senegal play at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground- although nothing has yet been finalised.
German boss Tuchel was at the World Cup draw in Zurich before Christmas but he officially took over on January 1.
He has been at a string of Premier League games while he has spoken to a number of England players.
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Tuchel has also met with Lee Carsley who was interim England manager after the departure of Gareth Southgate but has now returned to the under-21s.
The 51-year-old will confirm his first Three Lions squad late next month.
The City Ground hasn’t hosted an England international since 1909, excluding wartime games.
Forest’s home was used in Euro 1996, hosting games involving Turkey, Croatia and Portugal.
But it’s well over a century since England played there – a 2-0 win over Wales in the Three Lions’ 100th international.
Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is planning a huge overhaul of the stadium, which has been the team’s home for 126 years.
Southgate vs Tuchel records compared
THOMAS TUCHEL
Augsburg II 2007-2008
P34 W 20 D8 L6 Win percentage: 58.82%
Mainz 05 2009-2014
P184 W72 D46 L66 Win percentage: 39.13%
Borussia Dortmund 2015-2017
P107 W67 D23 L17 Win percentage: 62.62%
Honours: DFB Pokal
Paris Saint Germain 2018-2020
P127 W95 D13 L16 Win percentage: 74.8%
Honours: Ligue 1 X2, Coupe de France, Coupe de la Ligue, Trophee des Champions x2
Chelsea 2021-2022
P100 W60 D24 L16 Win percentage: 60%
Honours: Champions League, Super Cup, Club World Cup
Bayern Munich 2023-2024
P61 W37 D8 L16 Win percentage: 60.66%
Honours: Bundesliga
GARETH SOUTHGATE
Middlesbrough 2006-2009
P151 W54 D43 Win percentage: 35.76%
England U21 2013-2016
P37 W27 D5 L5 Win percentage: 72.97%
Honours: Toulon tournament
England 2016-2024
P102 W61 D24 L17 Win percentage: 59.8%
Honours: Euros runners up, 2020, 2024
The Greek hopes to expand the City Ground’s capacity to 50,000 due to a “huge waiting list” for season-ticket holders.
Forest chief executive Tom Cartledge added: “If you add up our 20,000 season-ticket holders, plus the 21,500 or more who were waiting in a queue for tickets, the city of Nottingham should be able to sustain a 45,000 to 50,000-seat stadium.
“We can get ourselves to 40,000 and, if there was no obstruction, he [Marinakis] would get on it next season.
“He just wants to get going with it and that’s very exciting.”
