England head into the 2026 World Cup on the back of a mixed set of warm-up matches. Under Thomas Tuchel, they drew with Uruguay, lost at home to Japan and edged past New Zealand, hardly the run of form a nation hoping to end 60 years of hurt would have wanted.
Tuchel’s side remain among the leading contenders, and anyone weighing up a World Cup bet will know England carry real talent. But the warm-up games left plenty for the manager to think about.
In this article, we look at what England’s warm-up friendlies told us ahead of the World Cup.
Harry Kane is in fine form
If there was one clear positive, it was the captain. Harry Kane scored the only goal against New Zealand, a header from Djed Spence’s cross, to take his England tally to 79 goals, 26 clear of Wayne Rooney as the country’s all-time leading scorer. Kane has now found the net 11 times in his last 11 appearances for England. Whatever else is uncertain, the team’s main source of goals is firing.
Tuchel is still settling on his side
The two March friendlies at Wembley were experimental, and they brought mixed returns. England were held to a 1-1 draw by Uruguay, with Ben White scoring before giving away a late penalty that Federico Valverde converted. Four days later came a 1-0 defeat to Japan, a poor result against a side ranked 18ᵗʰ in the world.
Against New Zealand, Tuchel changed all 11 players at half-time and used 22 in total, still searching for his strongest team. Amid the reshuffle, 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha came on to become one of England’s youngest ever debutants, a reminder of the depth Tuchel can now call on.
Breaking down stubborn defences is a worry
The New Zealand game underlined an old problem. England had 71% of the ball and 23 shots against the 75ᵗʰ-ranked side, yet won by a single goal and could not add a second. They will face similar low blocks in the group stage, and anyone reading the World Cup 2026 tips will note that turning dominance into goals has often been England’s stumbling block. Dan Burn hit the post and Ivan Toney missed a good chance, but the cutting edge was lacking.
Adapting to the heat will be key
One clear aim of the trip to Florida was acclimatisation. England played New Zealand in around 33C, close to the conditions they can expect across the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer. Tuchel was encouraged by how his players coped, even as the intensity dropped in the second half. Managing the heat could prove as important as anything tactical once the tournament begins.
England still have one warm-up game to come, against Costa Rica in Orlando on June 10, before they open their World Cup against Croatia in Dallas on June 17. The talent is there, with Kane in form and a deep squad to call on, from Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka to the younger names pushing through. Whether Tuchel can mould it into a side capable of going all the way remains the big question.
