Match preview for England vs Costa Rica
England bring their World Cup preparations to a close on Wednesday evening when they take on Costa Rica in Orlando, with Thomas Tuchel looking for a more convincing display ahead of the Three Lions’ tournament opener against Croatia.
The German coach watched his side edge past New Zealand 1-0 on Saturday in a match that offered little excitement.
Tuchel was openly critical of aspects of the display, with difficult weather conditions, a poor playing surface and widespread second-half changes contributing to a disjointed performance.
England have yet to score more than once in a match during 2026, although their defensive record remains strong.
Costa Rica, meanwhile, will not be participating in this summer’s World Cup after falling short during CONCACAF qualifying. Los Ticos won all four of their second-round qualifiers but failed to maintain that momentum in the next phase, drawing four of six matches and finishing behind both Haiti and Honduras.
Their qualification disappointment led to the departure of Miguel Herrera, with former Venezuela boss Fernando Batista taking charge. The Argentine is still searching for his first victory, having overseen a 2-2 draw with Jordan before defeats against Iran and Colombia.
Team news for England vs Costa Rica
England have been boosted by the arrivals of several players who were granted additional time off following their involvement in the Champions League final.
Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke have now joined the squad, with Rice and Saka expected to return straight into the starting lineup.
Tuchel is likely to move closer to his strongest XI after rotating heavily against New Zealand. Jude Bellingham, Reece James and Nico O’Reilly are also candidates to start, while John Stones and Marc Guehi are expected to continue at the heart of the defence.
Costa Rica are without experienced forward Joel Campbell, who was not included in the current squad.
That places greater responsibility on Spartak Moscow striker Manfred Ugalde, who is the leading international goalscorer among the current Costa Rica squad and will be their main attacking threat.
Expected line-ups for England vs Costa Rica
England: Pickford; James, Stones, Guehi, O’Reilly; Anderson, Rice; Saka, Bellingham, Rashford; Kane
Costa Rica: Sequeira; Quiros, Mitchell, Faerron, Araya; Salazar, Flores; Mora, Soto, Alcocer; Ugalde
Where to watch England vs Costa Rica: TV channel, online live stream
Kick-off is scheduled for 21:00 BST on Wednesday, June 10.
Broadcast coverage will be available on ITV1, with UK viewers also able to catch the match on ITVX.
Stats for England vs Costa Rica
- England have kept a clean sheet in each of their last 12 victories.
- Harry Kane scored his 79th international goal against New Zealand.
- England have failed to score more than once in a match during 2026.
- The Three Lions are unbeaten in their last two meetings with Costa Rica.
- Costa Rica held England to a 0-0 draw at the 2014 World Cup.
- England defeated Costa Rica 2-0 in a friendly in 2018.
- Costa Rica have failed to win any of Fernando Batista’s first three matches in charge.
- Los Ticos have conceded 10 goals in their last three fixtures.
- Costa Rica missed out on qualification for the 2026 World Cup after finishing behind Haiti and Honduras.
- England begin their World Cup campaign against Croatia on June 18.
Prediction for England vs Costa Rica
England have not been at their attacking best during these warm-up fixtures, but the expected return of several key players should significantly improve their threat going forward.
Costa Rica’s defensive struggles and recent results suggest they could find it difficult to contain a near full-strength England side, with the Three Lions well placed to head into the World Cup on a positive note.
Prediction: England 3-0 Costa Rica
