As a reminder, the 12 group winners in European qualifying progress to the World Cup finals.

The 12 group runners-up will take part in play-offs in March.

They will be joined by the four best-placed group winners from the recent Nations League tournament that have not already qualified for the World Cup or made it into the play-offs as runners up in their group.

The play-offs are split into eight semi-finals and four finals.

Winners of four play-off finals will qualify for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Believe it or not, but before Tuesday's hammering by England, Serbia had proved a tough nut to crack in front of their fanatical home support.

They were supposed to provide the Three Lions with their toughest test in Group K, yet now face a battle with Albania to even reach the play-offs.

Serbia host second-placed Albania before England play their next qualifier, away to Latvia on 14 October.

Should Albania win in Belgrade then the Three Lions would be confirmed group winners - and qualify for the 2026 World Cup finals - with victory in Riga.

Even if Serbia win against Albania, victory for England in Latvia would be enough for them to qualify with two games to spare, should Serbia drop points away to Andorra in their next match.

Image source, Getty Images

In a time of change, captain Harry Kane has provided a constant for new England head coach Thomas Tuchel, as he did for Gareth Southgate before him.

The 32-year-old Bayern Munich striker, who played a season under Tuchel when he moved from Tottenham to the Bundesliga, nodded home his 74th goal for England in Serbia in what was his 109th appearance for the Three Lions.

His goal broke the deadlock and provided the foundation for England to produce their most impressive performance yet under Tuchel.

By doing so, Kane also moved above another great leader, Bobby Moore, and into the top five England appearance makers.

Most capped England internationals in the men's senior team:

• Peter Shilton (125)
• Wayne Rooney (120)
• David Beckham (115)
• Steven Gerrard (114)
• Harry Kane (109)

John Murray
BBC football correspondent

There was a lot going on in and around the famous stadium of Red Star Belgrade, besides England’s performance.

A huge section of the stands was closed as a punishment for discrimination and racist abuse at Serbia’s last home match. Pleas had been sent out to supporters in advance of the match and on the public address system in the ground on the night to behave. There was a very high profile presence of riot police in attendance. There are political tensions in Belgrade just now and there was chanting related to that during the match.

The home supporters became angry as England racked up the goals, and called for coach Dragan Stojkovic to go. Scuffles broke out in the home sections, one ill-advised man tried to get to the England supporters and was quickly hustled away.

Green laser lights were being shone on the England players, at one point causing Ezra Konsa to halt in his tracks. Someone else was blowing a referee’s whistle, which was quite distracting. And it looked like Morgan Rogers was upset by something that was said to him immediately after the end of the match.

So with all that going on it was all the more to England’s credit that they were able to ignore it all and really produce the goods for the first time, in what was the sixth match of Thomas Tuchel’s tenure.

On this Belgrade morning there is a very different feeling around Tuchel’s England.

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England

Two of England's remaining three qualifiers are away from home, while their final fixture of the campaign at Wembley is the return match against Serbia, who will certainly have a point to prove after Tuesday night's humiliation.

So while the Three Lions' tails are up, Thomas Tuchel will be keenly aware that there is still work to be done.

England's upcoming fixtures:

• 09 Oct: England v Wales - friendly
• 14 Oct: Latvia v England
• 13 Nov: England v Serbia
• 16 Nov: Albania v England

John Murray
BBC football correspondent on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast

That was quite a night. It goes straight on to the list of famous England away wins. It was the toughest match that England faced in the group but they made that look a nonsense with the way they played.

They imposed themselves from the first whistle and did exactly what Thomas Tuchel wanted - dominated from the first whistle.

Tuchel told me on the eve of the match that he felt this performance was coming and he was happy to point that out to me after the match.

England

Five wins and no goals conceded, capped off by a five-goal hammering of Group K danger team Serbia in their own back yard.

Could England's start to World Cup qualifying have been any more impressive under new head coach Thomas Tuchel.

OK, performances until Tuesday night's benchmark 5-0 win in Belgrade had been underwhelming, but with only five points now needed to qualify from the final three group games, does the World Cup countdown start now?

England results under Tuchel:

• 21 Mar: England 2-0 Albania
• 24 Mar: England 3-0 Latvia
• 07 Jun: Andorra 0-1 England
• 10 Jun: England 1-3 Senegal - friendly
• 06 Sep: England 2-0 Andorra
• 09 Sep: Serbia 0-5 England

Image source, Getty Images

England's World Cup qualifier against Serbia in Belgrade was briefly paused by the referee after a laser pen was shone from the crowd in Ezri Konsa's face.

The incident occurred in the 38th minute of the match at the Stadion Rajko Mitic in Belgrade - which the Three Lions went on to win 5-0 - when Konsa threw his head back after seemingly being dazzled by a green light.

A few moments earlier a beam had been directed towards fellow defender Reece James as he prepared to take a free-kick.

French referee Clement Turpin stopped the game momentarily after Konsa reacted and spoke to the fourth official on the touchline.

Shortly after the resumption, there was a message over the public address system which warned fans against the use of laser pens and other pyrotechnics.

In a separate incident, riot police entered the stands midway through the second half after home fans began chanting anti-government songs, while there were also chants related to Kosovo throughout the match.

At least 15% of Belgrade's stadium was closed to home supporters as a Fifa punishment for racist chanting in a game against Andorra.

A statement from the Serbian FA (FSS) said it has been fined more than £600,000 by Fifa and Uefa in the past five years.

Teamwork makes the dream work...

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

Thomas Tuchel spoke like a man who knew the best night of his England reign was coming from the moment he landed in Belgrade.

The German heard questions about his methods after the dire World Cup qualifier win against Andorra on Saturday - a fourth successive competitive victory, but one that ended with thousands of supporters at Villa Park voting with their feet long before the end.

"I see what I see. I feel what I feel. I am convinced we will improve, then get better and better," said Tuchel before England's qualifier against Serbia.

He echoed that message as he basked in the elation of Tuesday night's 5-0 triumph.

Tuchel's side delivered on that promise - and then some - with a masterclass that swept Serbia aside in their own Belgrade fortress, the predicted hostile crowd silenced from virtually the first whistle by a performance of total domination.

And, on what was the perfect night for Tuchel, he not only got the emphatic victory that puts England only five points away from World Cup qualification with three games left, he left Belgrade with the most pleasant of selection headaches to resolve.

John Murray
BBC football correspondent on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast

They were looking for an identity and it feels like they found it here in Belgrade last night.

I think Elliot Anderson has been key and it looks like 4-1-4-1 with Anderson key in midfield.

It's worth remembering that Bellingham, Saka, Palmer, Colwill, White, Foden, Stones, Wharton, Alexander-Arnold were all missing from this squad.

This has also served to raise competition for a place in Thomas Tuchel's squad.

England's performance last night feels even more impressive when you contextualise it with the fact that several key figures and at least two starters weren't even in the squad.

BBC football correspondent John Murray has been speaking about those players who will be looking to force their way back in action in October.

Daniel Austin
BBC Sport senior journalist

Image source, Getty Images

When Djed Spence came on as a substitute for England during Tuesday's World Cup qualifier in Serbia, he was not just reaping the rewards of years of hard work and resilience in the face of setbacks - he was also making history.

The 25-year-old Tottenham Hotspur full-back became the first Muslim to play for the senior England men's football team, a milestone which has drawn attention nationwide and beyond.

"I was surprised because I didn't know I was the first, so it's a blessing," he said after England's 5-0 win.

"It's good to make history and hopefully inspire young kids around the world that they can make it as well. They can do what I am doing."

So, what does Spence's achievement mean for the wider Muslim community in the UK?

• Read more here