BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — England needed a second-half goal from Harry Kane to secure a 1-0 win over lowly Andorra and maintain a perfect record under Thomas Tuchel after three World Cup qualifiers on Saturday.
England was held scoreless by a team ranked 173rd in the world until Kane redirected a pass from Noni Madueke into the top of the net in the 50th minute after the Bayern Munich striker’s initial effort was saved by goalkeeper Iker Álvarez.
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Albanian police secure an area of the tribune during a World Cup qualifying soccer match between Albania and Serbia, Saturday, June 7, 2025, at Air Albania stadium in Tirana, Albania. (AP Photo/Vlasov Sulaj)
England's Morgan Rogers reacts during a World Cup 2026 group K qualifying soccer match between Andorra and England at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
England's Harry Kane applauds to supporters at the end of a World Cup 2026 group K qualifying soccer match between Andorra and England at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
Andorra's Christian Garcia, right, tries to block a shot from England's Harry Kane during a World Cup 2026 group K qualifying soccer match between Andorra and England at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
England's Harry Kane cleans shoe during a World Cup 2026 group K qualifying soccer match between Andorra and England at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
England's Harry Kane, right, scores the opening goal during a World Cup 2026 group K qualifying soccer match between Andorra and England at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
Andorra's Max Llovera, left, tries to block a shot from England's Harry Kane, center, during a World Cup 2026 group K qualifying soccer match between Andorra and England at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
England's Harry Kane, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's opening goal during a World Cup 2026 group K qualifying soccer match between Andorra and England at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
“We need to be better for sure,” Kane said. “It’s not one that many will remember, and we had good spells, but we take the three points and move on.”
It was goal No. 72 in his 106th appearance for the Three Lions.
Tuchel’s side remained top of Europe’s Group K with nine points after wins against Albania and Latvia. They have yet to concede a goal under the German coach.
Nevertheless, Tuchel said that he was “not happy” with the slim win over tiny Andorra, which has a population of around 80,000.
“At the end of it, it was absolutely not OK because we lost focus and we lost the urgency that is needed,” he said.
Andorra remained winless but managed to frustrate England's stars for most of the game with its five-man defensive line. Ezri Konsa had to block a late shot by Andorra’s Guillaume Lopez to prevent the chance of an equalizer.
“We kept giving it away and that gave them a bit of confidence and energy,” Kane said. "At 1-0 with five to 10 minutes to go you have to be careful.”
England dominated possession and Eberechi Eze went close to a second goal when he forced Álvarez to tip his header of the bar as the visitors couldn't extend the lead.
England had won its previous six meetings with Andorra by a combined score of 25-0.
“In terms of effort, I think I couldn’t be prouder of my team and how they carried it out,” Andorra coach Koldo Álvarez said.
The game was played at Espanyol’s stadium in Barcelona, nearly three hours south of the Pyrenees principality due to concerns that work on Andorra’s home stadium wouldn’t be finished in time.
Only the group winners qualify directly for next year’s tournament in North America. The second-placed teams go into a playoffs.
Europe will have 16 teams in the expanded 48-team field for the World Cup. The group stage of European qualifying runs through November.
England will next host Senegal in a friendly on Tuesday.
Albania and Serbia drew 0-0 in the latest chapter of a charged rivalry rooted in deep historical and ethnic tensions between the Balkan neighbors.
Serbia goalkeeper Dorde Petrovic saved a penalty kick by Rey Manaj in the best chance of the game, which was played without Serbian fans as determined by UEFA for security concerns.
Albania is second in Group K behind England with four points after three games.
There were few chances in the match played under tight security, with more than 2,000 police officers guarding the capital.
Albanian fans loudly whistled when the Serbian anthem was played and shouted Kosovo, which predominantly has an ethnic Albanian population and which was part of Serbia until 1999 when a NATO air campaign pushed Serb forces and authorities out.
Some fans tossed beer cups at the Serbian players, despite repeated calls for them to stop.
A 2014 game between the teams in Belgrade was abandoned when a drone carrying an Albanian flag sparked a full-scale brawl. The last time they met on Albanian soil was in 2015.
A goal from 39-year-old Edin Dzeko gave Bosnia and Herzegovina a 1-0 win over San Marino.
The Balkan republic leads Group H with three wins, while San Marino is bottom with zero points.
Austria beat Romania 2-1 in the same group as Michael Gregoritsch and Marcel Sabitzer scored for the hosts before Denis Alibec halved the difference in injury time.
Memphis Depay and Denzel Dumfries provided the scoring for the Netherlands in a 2-0 win at Finland to start their qualifying campaign in Group G.
Lithuania was held 0-0 at Malta also in Group G.
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Albanian police secure an area of the tribune during a World Cup qualifying soccer match between Albania and Serbia, Saturday, June 7, 2025, at Air Albania stadium in Tirana, Albania. (AP Photo/Vlasov Sulaj)
England's Morgan Rogers reacts during a World Cup 2026 group K qualifying soccer match between Andorra and England at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
England's Harry Kane applauds to supporters at the end of a World Cup 2026 group K qualifying soccer match between Andorra and England at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
Andorra's Christian Garcia, right, tries to block a shot from England's Harry Kane during a World Cup 2026 group K qualifying soccer match between Andorra and England at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
England's Harry Kane cleans shoe during a World Cup 2026 group K qualifying soccer match between Andorra and England at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
England's Harry Kane, right, scores the opening goal during a World Cup 2026 group K qualifying soccer match between Andorra and England at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
Andorra's Max Llovera, left, tries to block a shot from England's Harry Kane, center, during a World Cup 2026 group K qualifying soccer match between Andorra and England at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
England's Harry Kane, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's opening goal during a World Cup 2026 group K qualifying soccer match between Andorra and England at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
A group of Buddhist monks and their rescue dog are striding single file down country roads and highways across the South, captivating Americans nationwide and inspiring droves of locals to greet them along their route.
In their flowing saffron and ocher robes, the men are walking for peace. It's a meditative tradition more common in South Asian countries, and it's resonating now in the U.S., seemingly as a welcome respite from the conflict, trauma and politics dividing the nation.
Their journey began Oct. 26, 2025, at a Vietnamese Buddhist temple in Texas, and is scheduled to end in mid-February in Washington, D.C., where they will ask Congress to recognize Buddha’s day of birth and enlightenment as a federal holiday. Beyond promoting peace, their highest priority is connecting with people along the way.
“My hope is, when this walk ends, the people we met will continue practicing mindfulness and find peace,” said the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, the group’s soft-spoken leader who is making the trek barefoot. He teaches about mindfulness, forgiveness and healing at every stop.
Preferring to sleep each night in tents pitched outdoors, the monks have been surprised to see their message transcend ideologies, drawing huge crowds into churchyards, city halls and town squares across six states. Documenting their journey on social media, they — and their dog, Aloka — have racked up millions of followers online. On Saturday, thousands thronged in Columbia, South Carolina, where the monks chanted on the steps of the State House and received a proclamation from the city's mayor, Daniel Rickenmann.
At their stop Thursday in Saluda, South Carolina, Audrie Pearce joined the crowd lining Main Street. She had driven four hours from her village of Little River, and teared up as Pannakara handed her a flower.
“There’s something traumatic and heart-wrenching happening in our country every day,” said Pearce, who describes herself as spiritual, but not religious. “I looked into their eyes and I saw peace. They’re putting their bodies through such physical torture and yet they radiate peace.”
Hailing from Theravada Buddhist monasteries across the globe, the 19 monks began their 2,300 mile (3,700 kilometer) trek at the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth.
Their journey has not been without peril. On Nov. 19, as the monks were walking along U.S. Highway 90 near Dayton, Texas, their escort vehicle was hit by a distracted truck driver, injuring two monks. One of them lost his leg, reducing the group to 18.
This is Pannakara's first trek in the U.S., but he's walked across several South Asian countries, including a 112-day journey across India in 2022 where he first encountered Aloka, an Indian Pariah dog whose name means divine light in Sanskrit.
Then a stray, the dog followed him and other monks from Kolkata in eastern India all the way to the Nepal border. At one point, he fell critically ill and Pannakara scooped him up in his arms and cared for him until he recovered. Now, Aloka inspires him to keep going when he feels like giving up.
“I named him light because I want him to find the light of wisdom,” Pannakara said.
The monk's feet are now heavily bandaged because he's stepped on rocks, nails and glass along the way. His practice of mindfulness keeps him joyful despite the pain from these injuries, he said.
Still, traversing the southeast United States has presented unique challenges, and pounding pavement day after day has been brutal.
“In India, we can do shortcuts through paddy fields and farms, but we can’t do that here because there are a lot of private properties,” Pannakara said. “But what’s made it beautiful is how people have welcomed and hosted us in spite of not knowing who we are and what we believe.”
In Opelika, Alabama, the Rev. Patrick Hitchman-Craig hosted the monks on Christmas night at his United Methodist congregation.
He expected to see a small crowd, but about 1,000 people showed up, creating the feel of a block party. The monks seemed like the Magi, he said, appearing on Christ’s birthday.
“Anyone who is working for peace in the world in a way that is public and sacrificial is standing close to the heart of Jesus, whether or not they share our tradition,” said Hitchman-Craig. “I was blown away by the number of people and the diversity of who showed up.”
After their night on the church lawn, the monks arrived the next afternoon at the Collins Farm in Cusseta, Alabama. Judy Collins Allen, whose father and brother run the farm, said about 200 people came to meet the monks — the biggest gathering she’s ever witnessed there.
“There was a calm, warmth and sense of community among people who had not met each other before and that was so special,” she said.
Long Si Dong, a spokesperson for the Fort Worth temple, said the monks, when they arrive in Washington, plan to seek recognition of Vesak, the day which marks the birth and enlightenment of the Buddha, as a national holiday.
“Doing so would acknowledge Vesak as a day of reflection, compassion and unity for all people regardless of faith,” he said.
But Pannakara emphasized that their main goal is to help people achieve peace in their lives. The trek is also a separate endeavor from a $200 million campaign to build towering monuments on the temple’s 14-acre property to house the Buddha’s teachings engraved in stone, according to Dong.
The monks practice and teach Vipassana meditation, an ancient Indian technique taught by the Buddha himself as core for attaining enlightenment. It focuses on the mind-body connection — observing breath and physical sensations to understand reality, impermanence and suffering. Some of the monks, including Pannakara, walk barefoot to feel the ground directly and be present in the moment.
Pannakara has told the gathered crowds that they don't aim to convert people to Buddhism.
Brooke Schedneck, professor of religion at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, said the tradition of a peace walk in Theravada Buddhism began in the 1990s when the Venerable Maha Ghosananda, a Cambodian monk, led marches across war-torn areas riddled with landmines to foster national healing after civil war and genocide in his country.
“These walks really inspire people and inspire faith,” Schedneck said. “The core intention is to have others watch and be inspired, not so much through words, but through how they are willing to make this sacrifice by walking and being visible.”
On Thursday, Becki Gable drove nearly 400 miles (about 640 kilometers) from Cullman, Alabama, to catch up with them in Saluda. Raised Methodist, Gable said she wanted some release from the pain of losing her daughter and parents.
“I just felt in my heart that this would help me have peace,” she said. “Maybe I could move a little bit forward in my life.”
Gable says she has already taken one of Pannakara’s teachings to heart. She’s promised herself that each morning, as soon as she awakes, she’d take a piece of paper and write five words on it, just as the monk prescribed.
“Today is my peaceful day.”
Freelance photojournalist Allison Joyce contributed to this report.
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," get lunch Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Aloka rests with Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
A sign is seen greeting the Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Supporters pray with Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Supporters watch Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
A Buddhist monk ties a prayer bracelet around the wrist of Josey Lee, 2-months-old, during the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Bhikkhu Pannakara, a spiritual leader, speaks to supporters during the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Buddhist monks participate in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Buddhist monks participate in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Bhikkhu Pannakara leads other buddhist monks in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Audrie Pearce greets Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Bhikkhu Pannakara, a spiritual leader, speaks to supporters during the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," arrive in Saluda, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," are seen with their dog, Aloka, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
