Thomas Tuchel’s squad will play warm up matches against New Zealand and Costa Rica before opening their tournament campaign against Croatia…reports London Daily News Desk
England’s quest to win the FIFA World Cup 2026 has entered a crucial stage as Thomas Tuchel and his 26 man squad arrived in the United States to begin their final preparations for the tournament.
The Three Lions landed in Florida on Monday and will use Miami as their training base before relocating to Kansas City, which will serve as their headquarters during the World Cup. With less than three weeks remaining before England’s opening fixture, Tuchel will use the camp to fine tune his squad and assess player fitness ahead of the competition.
England begin their World Cup campaign against Croatia in Dallas on June 17, but before that they will play two warm up matches designed to sharpen the team and provide valuable match practice.
The first of those fixtures comes against New Zealand at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on June 6. The encounter will be only the third meeting between the two men’s national teams and their first since 1991. England won both previous meetings, which were played as friendly matches 35 years ago.
Four days later, Tuchel’s side will face Costa Rica at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando. Although Costa Rica failed to qualify for this year’s World Cup, they reached each of the previous three tournaments and remain familiar opponents for England. The two nations drew 0-0 during the group stage of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, while England secured a 2-0 victory in a friendly at Elland Road in 2018.
The matches against New Zealand and Costa Rica are expected to play an important role in helping Tuchel finalise his plans before England’s Group L campaign begins. Following the opening clash with Croatia, the Three Lions will face Ghana in Boston before completing the group stage against Panama in New York and New Jersey.
Alongside preparations for the senior squad, the training camp will also provide an opportunity for some of England’s most promising young talents to gain valuable experience in a major tournament environment.
Tuchel has invited a number of youth internationals to join the camp, including members of the England Under 21 side that recently enjoyed success under Lee Carsley. The youngsters will train with the senior team and help maintain squad numbers during the preparation period.
Among those included are AFC Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott, Fulham forward Josh King, Liverpool teenager Rio Ngumoha and Arsenal prospect Ethan Nwaneri. Their involvement will allow them to experience the demands and atmosphere of a senior international tournament while working alongside England’s established stars.
Explaining the decision, Tuchel said the additional players would help manage workloads across the squad during training and the warm up fixtures.
“We will take some young players out who will train with us in the size of the squad that we need, and we have the two friendly matches to take care of the minutes and the load on the players,” Tuchel said.
The England manager reserved special praise for Scott, who was included in the provisional list of 55 players considered for the final World Cup squad before narrowly missing out on selection.
“I’m happy to have these players, especially Alex who was on the list of 55 and obviously he didn’t make the first cut but the reaction of him was outstanding and the commitment and wish to be in pre camp and a step closer to the team was not even a question for him.
“That showed me his character and I’m delighted he’ll be with us because that was a close call and he gets a chance to get a step closer and a cap.”
Brighton goalkeeper Jason Steele will also join the squad as a training goalkeeper during the Florida camp and throughout the World Cup, providing additional support as England continue their preparations for a tournament they hope will end with a first world title since 1966.
Wills Says Thanks
Prince William has paid tribute to the support staff behind England’s FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign, thanking the “team behind the team” as the Three Lions finalise preparations for the tournament in the United States.
The Prince of Wales, who is Patron of the Football Association, visited St George’s Park to meet the personnel responsible for helping England’s players and coaching staff ahead of the World Cup.
His visit came shortly after England announced their 26 player squad for the tournament, with head coach Thomas Tuchel and his players set to gather in Florida next week for a training camp before the competition begins.
England’s preparations will include warm up matches against New Zealand in Tampa on June 6 and Costa Rica in Orlando on June 10. The Three Lions then open their World Cup campaign against Croatia in Dallas on June 17.
During his visit to the national football centre, Prince William met coaches, analysts, medical staff, nutritionists and sports science experts who play key roles in supporting the national team. He was also briefed on tournament plans and the extensive work carried out behind the scenes to prepare England for the challenges ahead.
Addressing the staff, the Prince acknowledged that much of their contribution often goes unnoticed despite being vital to the team’s success.
“I just wanted to take the opportunity to see the team behind the team today, and to say thank you and good luck to all of you guys who don’t get as much acknowledgement or credit as you deserve,” Prince William said.
“It’s a big team that gets on that plane, it’s a big team that looks after them. Not everyone gets to see the hard work you put in, and the success of the players comes from the foundations you built, so thank you.”
England manager Thomas Tuchel also highlighted the importance of the support network surrounding the national team, saying the backroom operation has grown significantly in modern football.
“It gets bigger and bigger, the team behind the team. So many specialists, from nutritionists to analysts and the set pieces,” Tuchel said.
England will head to the United States aiming to win their first World Cup since 1966, with Tuchel’s squad hoping their months of preparation both on and off the pitch can help deliver success on football’s biggest stage.
