England coach Tuchel previews final World Cup warm-up against Costa Rica

Thomas Tuchel wants 60-70 minutes from key players as England fine-tune preparations before their World Cup opener against Croatia.

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Add us on Google by Editorial Team Jun. 9, 2026

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.

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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.

No injury scares, but Stones being monitored

Tuchel reported no significant injury concerns across the squad. The one name that came with a slight asterisk was John Stones, who is undergoing routine checks described as precautionary monitoring rather than any sign of a fresh problem.

Tuchel also indicated he intends to experiment with different player combinations against Costa Rica, particularly in central defense, to see how different partnerships look under match conditions before making his final call for the Croatia match.

Why Costa Rica matters more than the scoreline suggests

Tuchel has acknowledged the significance of facing a range of opponents to help players acclimatize to varying conditions. Costa Rica offer a distinctly different style compared to the European opponents England typically face, and playing in Orlando’s heat and humidity provides acclimatization to the North American conditions England will face throughout the World Cup.

Tuchel’s training sessions in Florida focused on tactical adjustments and maximizing player readiness, with the media session on June 9 confirming that every friendly, training block, and minute allocation has been mapped out with the Croatia match as the endpoint. Tuchel also encouraged players to arrive in the U.S. as early as possible to adjust to the time zone.

What to watch against Costa Rica

Which central defensive pairing Tuchel selects will offer strong clues about his thinking for the Croatia game. The substitution pattern will also be revealing — who comes off at 60 minutes and who stays on will indicate who Tuchel considers his starters versus rotation options ahead of June 17.

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