The 2026 World Cup is almost here, and England head into it on the back of one of the most impressive qualifying campaigns the country has ever produced. The Three Lions are among the current favourites to lift the trophy., but before the tournament kicks off, England will play in two final friendly matches, which may help determine how well Thomas Tuchel's squad will get on.
The
build-up so far
Thomas
Tuchel has made an extraordinary start as England manager. His side won all
eight of their World Cup qualifying matches without conceding a single goal,
scoring 22 in the process and becoming only the second European nation in
history to complete a full qualifying campaign with a 100 per cent clean sheet
record. They will face Uruguay and Japan at Wembley at the end of March as a final test on
home soil before jetting to Florida, where the last preparations take place.
England face New Zealand on June 6, then Costa Rica on June 10, just a week
before the tournament kicks off against Croatia in Dallas on June 17.
What
these games are actually for
By the time
England play New Zealand, Tuchel will have already named his final 26-man
squad. These friendlies are not about earning a place on the plane, that
conversation will already be over. Instead, they are about getting the squad
sharp, building rhythm, and giving every player in the group some minutes
before the competitive football begins.
Players who
have been carrying knocks through the end of the club season will get the
chance to prove their fitness. Combinations that Tuchel wants to use in the
group stage can be tested at match pace.
And
crucially, the squad gets time to settle together in Florida's heat, which will
closely mirror the conditions they face in the United States throughout June
and July.
Kyle
Walker's retirement and the full-back picture
Kyle Walker
announced his retirement from international football this month after 96 caps
and five major tournaments, bringing the curtain down on a remarkable England
career. His exit at least confirms that Reece James is the settled first choice
at right-back, removing one of the selection headaches that has followed this
squad for some time.
The
left-back position remains less certain, with Nico O'Reilly, Myles
Lewis-Skelly, and Luke Shaw all carrying different claims for that starting
spot. The Florida friendlies give Tuchel a real opportunity to trial those
options at match pace and settle on a first choice before June 17, and
left-back is far from the only position where the starting spot is still
genuinely up for grabs.
The number 10
role, the third striker slot, and the balance of the midfield all still have
questions attached to them, and two competitive-feeling fixtures against sides
who will make England work are the ideal setting to find some answers.
What to
expect on the pitch
England
should win both games. New Zealand qualified for the tournament with a perfect
record of five wins from five, so they will not roll over, and Costa Rica held
England to a 0-0 draw at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil despite not qualifying
for this summer's tournament.
Both sides
will offer a physical and organised test in warm conditions, which is exactly
what Tuchel needs. England's defensive shape and the Declan Rice and
Elliot Anderson midfield partnership will be worth watching closely as Tuchel
finalises how he wants his side to set up.
Croatia,
Ghana, and Panama await in the group stage, and England need to arrive in
Dallas ready from the first whistle.
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