England vs Costa Rica ended in a 3-0 victory for England in Orlando on Thursday, the Football Association said, a confident finish in the team’s final warm-up before the 2026 World Cup.
Kickoff was delayed by about one hour because of thunderstorms in the Orlando area, the Football Association said, but the weather did not slow England’s momentum on the field.
Eight minutes into the match, Anthony Gordon supplied a lively run down the wing and set up Declan Rice, who opened the scoring to give England an early lead, the FA match report said.
England vs Costa Rica: Match report
After halftime England manager Thomas Tuchel made wholesale substitutions to assess his squad, replacing the entire starting eleven, the FA said. Gordon returned to the pitch and converted a penalty in the 67th minute to make it 2-0.
Ollie Watkins sealed the win with a late finish in the 86th minute. The match ended 3-0, a scoreline the FA described as a positive sign ahead of the tournament.
Bukayo Saka, returning from injury, came on as a substitute and showed encouraging form off the bench, the team said.
Tuchel’s rotations and what it means for the World Cup
Tuchel’s decision to use every available substitution was framed as an opportunity to test match fitness across his roster, the manager said in a postgame note released by the Football Association.
That rotation pattern, combined with performances in recent friendlies, informs expectations for England’s opening group match. England vs Costa Rica was, for many players, the final competitive chance to make a case for a World Cup starting role.
Projected World Cup starting lineup
FIFA’s schedule shows England opens the group stage on June 17 in Dallas against Croatia. Based on Tuchel’s selections in friendlies and the Orlando match-day choices, the expected 4-2-3-1 starting lineup for that game is listed below.
Goalkeeper: Jordan Pickford
Defenders: Reece James, John Stones, Marc Guéhi, Luke Shaw
Defensive midfield: Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson
Attacking midfield: Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon
Forward: Harry Kane
England’s final 26-player squad and the starting XI for June 17 remain subject to official confirmation by the Football Association, the organization said.
For now, England leaves Orlando on an upbeat note after the England vs Costa Rica friendly, carrying a clean sheet and three goals into their World Cup preparations.