Thomas Tuchel held court in Orlando on June 9, laying out his plan for England’s last dress rehearsal before the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in earnest. The friendly against Costa Rica, set for June 10 at Inter&Co Stadium, is the final opportunity to tinker before the real thing starts.
Tuchel said he’s targeting 60 to 70 minutes of action for many of his key players, a workload designed to sharpen match fitness without risking fatigue ahead of the tournament.
Lessons from the New Zealand win
England arrived in Florida off the back of a narrow 1-0 victory over New Zealand on June 7. Tuchel acknowledged that certain aspects of the display left him wanting more, even as he pointed to encouraging signs on the fitness front.
Physical intensity, specifically, needs to ramp up before England face Croatia on June 17 in their World Cup opener. The match against Costa Rica serves a dual purpose: building minutes in players’ legs and exposing the squad to a non-European playing style.
