England 5-0 San Marino: Lineker calls for FIFA rule change after Wembley win

England made no mistakes against San Marino in their first 2022 World Cup qualifier.

Truth be told, navigating the challenge of the lowest-ranked nation in the world was something of an inevitability, but the Three Lions still had to show professionalism to get the job done.

And it didn't take long for Gareth Southgate's men to assert their authority on the game with James Ward-Prowse opening the scoring, sweeping home his first goal on the international stage.

England breeze past San Marino

Dominic Calvert-Lewin then doubled England's advantage with a header from Reece James' stunning cross, before Raheem Sterling put the home side three goals clear going into the break.

By that point, it couldn't have been clearer that England were going to canter to an emphatic victory, especially when you consider San Marino have only won one game in their entire history.

And it's fair to say that not everybody who watched England swagger their way to glory under the Wembley arch was happy with the match-making curated by FIFA's qualifying system.

Criticism of San Marino game

Besides, one of the biggest criticisms of the international break for England fans is that the games often see the Three Lions playing against opponents far below their standards.

And the flames of that argument were firmly fanned as San Marino wilted in London, prompting some hot takes on Twitter suggesting that FIFA should prevent such mismatches from taking place.

England legend Gary Lineker led the charge by questioning the gravity of the game, branding the clash as 'pointless' and suggesting that the lowest-ranked nations should play against each other.

Fans call for a rule change

And he wasn't alone with countless fans opining that FIFA should install a preliminary qualification round to help eliminate mismatches like England vs San Marino.

Now, it's important to say that some supporters argued the contrary, lauding the charm of plucky San Marino getting their shot, but it's fair to say it was the criticism that bubbled to the surface.