Thomas Tuchel will hope to sign off with a win as England prepare to face Costa Rica this Wednesday.
England’s victory over New Zealand was useful in terms of the result, but it did little to ease concerns about their attacking rhythm. A difficult pitch, demanding Florida conditions and several half-time changes contributed to a disjointed contest at Raymond James Stadium, where the Three Lions struggled to produce sustained fluency.
In the end, it was Harry Kane who made the difference. The England captain scored the only goal of the game with a header on the stroke of half time, taking his international tally to 79. Tuchel has since praised Kane’s sharpness and leadership, describing him as being in excellent condition ahead of the World Cup.
Still, the performance gave Tuchel plenty to think about. England ended a two-match winless run with that victory, but they have yet to score more than once in a game in 2026. That lack of attacking spark is a concern for a squad filled with creative and forward talent.
The Costa Rica friendly is therefore more than a routine warm-up. It is Tuchel’s last chance to settle on the right structure before England face Croatia in Dallas. With Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden and others competing for major roles, the England manager still has important selection decisions to make.
England cannot rely only on control and clean sheets, and they will need sharper combinations in the final third, quicker ball movement and more variety in chance creation. Against Costa Rica, Tuchel will expect his players to dominate possession, stretch the pitch and show more urgency around the penalty area.
Costa Rica arrive in Orlando in a very different position. They had hoped to qualify for a fourth consecutive World Cup, having reached the quarter-finals in 2014 before group-stage exits in 2018 and 2022. Instead, their campaign ended in frustration.
Los Ticos made an excellent start to CONCACAF qualifying, taking 12 points from 12 in the second round. However, they failed to build on that momentum in the next phase, drawing four of their six matches and finishing behind Haiti and Honduras. That failure brought an immediate coaching change, with Miguel Herrera leaving and former Venezuela boss Fernando Batista taking over.
Batista is still searching for his first win as Costa Rica manager. His reign began with a 2-2 draw against Jordan, but that was followed by a heavy 5-0 defeat to Iran and a 3-1 loss to Colombia on June 2. Those results have highlighted both defensive vulnerability and a lack of control against stronger opposition.
The historical record gives Costa Rica some encouragement, though not much. They held England to a 0-0 draw at the 2014 World Cup, a result remembered as part of Costa Rica’s remarkable run to the quarter-finals. Four years later, England won a friendly meeting 2-0. This will be the third encounter between the nations, and Costa Rica will hope to frustrate the Three Lions again. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how both sides could line up and what tactics they might employ on the day.
England have been strengthened by the arrival of several players who were given an extended rest after their Champions League final commitments with Arsenal. Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze, Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke have now joined up with the rest of the squad, giving Thomas Tuchel more options for his final selection test before the World Cup.
There are no major suspension concerns for England heading into the friendly against Costa Rica. The main selection issue is workload management, especially for the players who joined the camp later after their club commitments.
England are likely to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Jordan Pickford starting in goal. Reece James should operate at right-back while John Stones and Marc Guehi will marshal the heart of the defence as Nico O’Reilly features at left-back.
In midfield, Elliot Anderson is likely to start as part of the double pivot alongside Declan Rice, giving the trio of Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford to express themselves. Meanwhile, Harry Kane is expected to lead the line as the central striker.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Pickford; James, Stones, Guehi, O’Reilly; Anderson, Rice; Saka, Bellingham, Rashford; Kane
Costa Rica will be without one of their most experienced attacking names, as Joel Campbell has not been included in the June squad. There are no major suspension concerns reported for Costa Rica ahead of the friendly against England.
The Americans are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Patrick Sequeira starting in goal. Haxzel Quiros is likely to operate at right-back while Jeyland Mitchell and Fernan Faerron are expected to join forces in central defence while Darril Araya is likely to feature at left-back.
In midfield, Aaron Salazar is expected to start as part of the double pivot. His role will be to protect the defence, close passing lanes and help Costa Rica stay compact when England have the ball with Luis Flores partnering him in central midfield.
Up forward, Carlos Mora is likely to start on the right wing, where he can offer pace and carry the ball forward when Costa Rica break. Andrey Soto should operate as the central attacking midfielder, linking midfield with attack and trying to support Ugalde whenever possible. Josimar Alcocer is expected to start from the left side, giving Costa Rica another direct outlet in wide areas. Manfred Ugalde should lead the line as the central striker.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sequeira; Quiros, Mitchell, Faerron, Araya; Salazar, Flores; Mora, Soto, Alcocer; Ugalde
England have struggled for attacking fluency in 2026 and have not scored more than once in any match this year, so Kane’s reliability in front of goal remains hugely important. The England captain scored his 79th international goal last time out, and Thomas Tuchel will hope he can provide the same cutting edge before the World Cup opener against Croatia.
Operating as the central striker in England’s 4-2-3-1 system, Kane will not only be expected to finish chances but also link play with Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford. His ability to drop deep, create space for runners and attack crosses should be central to England’s attacking plan.
Against a Costa Rica side likely to defend deep, Kane’s movement and penalty-box instincts could make the difference. If England are to end their preparations with a more convincing attacking performance, their captain is the player most likely to lead the way.
England were not convincing against New Zealand, but they should still have too much quality for Costa Rica. Tuchel will want a sharper performance, particularly in attack, and this match gives the Three Lions a useful chance to restore confidence before facing Croatia. Costa Rica may defend deep and make the game awkward for spells, but their recent defensive issues are difficult to ignore. England should control the match and end their preparations with another clean-sheet victory.
