Listen to BBC Radio 5 Live commentary, follow text and score updates and track the latest match stats as England take on Costa Rica in their final warm-up match before the World Cup.
Three Lions playing in final warm-up match before World CupBukayo Saka might be back in the fold for England but boss Thomas Tuchel says he will still have to be managed as he returns to full fitness and he's on the bench this evening.
The Arsenal winger missed part of the climax to the domestic season because of an Achilles injury, though he did return in time for the club's run-in as they won the Premier League title. Tuchel said Saka, who has scored 14 goals in 48 appearances for the Three Lions, still requires careful attention before the tournament - which has raised some concerns given he is a key player.
"We still have to take a little bit of care for Bukayo who had an injury in March and carried it through the club campaign," Tuchel told a news conference. "He made himself available at the end of the season and did so brilliantly, but he was managed in between matches. That continues a bit at the moment - we are building him up.
Arsenal quartet Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze missed England's friendly match against New Zealand on Saturday after being given a bit of extra time off thanks to their participation in the Champions League final. The four joined up with the England camp later in the weekend and Rice and Madueke get the nod tonight with Eze and Saka on the bench. That game , for me, is for the players solely to get up to speed.
It is important for me that they get the games in. I don't necessarily think it is for supporters to get excited. It is for players to get fit. Match fitness is totally different to just keeping fitness.
We are going into the biggest competition in the world, and England want to go as far as they can, so you're going to tick every single box that you can. Tonight will give a much clearer indication as to Tuchel's starting XI for the opening game and what his first string substitutions might be. Tonight England need to show us what the starting team will look like. Against New Zealand we saw nothing for optimism.
Thomas Tuchel's recent selections have not been anywhere near what could be considered a World Cup starting line-up. In Tampa on Saturday he was without key Arsenal figures and certain starters Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, afforded a rest after their Premier League title-winning exertions and the Champions League final loss to Paris St-Germain.
"To put it in context, a lot of our players last played together in November," said Tuchel. "That's half a year ago. We had four training sessions together, then mixed the team up completely.
" Tuchel has to take his own share of responsibility for this situation, having made some experimental selections leading up to these final preparations, including in the friendlies against Uruguay and Japan at Wembley in March. Manchester City's Phil Foden played up front against Japan. In the Uruguay game, Tuchel fielded Foden, Everton's James Garner and Spurs striker Dominic Solanke. None of those made his World Cup squad.
Ivan Toney came on for the second half in Tampa after spending a year in the England wilderness, following a three-minute appearance in the friendly defeat against Senegal at the City Ground, Nottingham. This, in effect, makes it even more important that Tuchel puts a line-up on the pitch against Costa Rica that is as close as possible to the one that will face Croatia.
It will be an opportunity to find rhythm and momentum and build combinations before that tournament opener.but one in which 22 players got minutes with boss Thomas Tuchel playing two entirely different XI's in each half. But Tuchel received some criticism for still not playing a competitive XI that are likely to start England's first World Cup Group L game.
It is just over 24 hours until the World Cup begins with the opening match of the 2026 tournament kicking off at 20:00 BST on Thursday. Mexico take on South Africa at the Mexico City Stadium after the opening ceremony which will include performances from Shakira and Burna Boy. Preparations are well under way in the capital as the United States, Mexico and Canada gear up for the pinnacle football tournament.
The ground is starting to fill up a bit now - and it's incredible how well the pitch appears to have drained after so much of it was under water just an hour or so ago. We have confirmation that kick-off will now be at 22:00 BST. That's 5pm local time. A delay of one hour to the original kick-off time.
Back to the situation in Florida as we await confirmation of the kick-off time. We should have an update on that very soon with the pitch inspection taking place around 10 minutes ago. Word is that the pitch has drained remarkably well. Let's hope that means we'll be getting started fairly soon.
The big sub-plot to England head coach Thomas Tuchel's selection to start the World Cup against Croatia on 17 June is whether Jude Bellingham or Morgan Rogers plays in the "number 10" role behind captain Harry Kane. Rogers started against New Zealand but Bellingham gets the nod tonight against Costa Rica - so we can expect the debate to continue.
Bukayo Saka is an injury worry with an Achilles tendon problem so Tuchel is managing the minutes for one of his most important players very carefully. He starts on the bench and Arsenal team-mate Noni Madueke starts. England boss Thomas Tuchel makes wholesale changes to the XI that started the match against New Zealand on Saturday with Declan Rice returning to the fold after joining up with the England camp on Sunday.
Tuchel did play two different XI's for that warm-up match but this seems closer to the line-up that could start England's opening Group L game against Croatia. Jude Bellingham also starts having played in the second-half XI on Saturday while Noni Madueke is favoured over Bukayo Saka as the winger's fitness continues to be managed. If a full 30 minutes has elapsed, the supporters can go to their seats and the ball will start rolling, pardon the pun.
The England team are due to arrive at 20:30 BST. It happened when we were in Florida in February. The rain is crazy when it happens, almost biblical - but once it stops, that pitch clears up impressively quickly.
Next, Viewing item 1 of 8 England have faced Costa Rica on two previous occasions, drawing 0-0 during the 2014 FIFA World Cup before beating Los Ticos 2-0 in a friendly in June 2018 courtesy of goals from Marcus Rashford and Danny Welbeck. England are unbeaten across their last 16 internationals against CONCACAF nations , conceding just four goals in that time since losing 2-0 to USA in June 1993.
Since beating Northern Ireland 3-0 in a friendly in June 2018, Costa Rica have failed to win any of their last seven matches against UEFA nations , conceding 20 goals in that time, with 11 coming in the two most recent matches during the 2022 FIFA World Cup . England have won each of their last 11 internationals against sides ranked outside the top 50 in the FIFA Rankings by an aggregate score of 28-1 since a 0-0 draw with Slovenia in June 2024, last losing to such an opponent earlier the same month .
Costa Rica are winless in their previous five matches in all competitions , this after being unbeaten in 10 matches beforehand . England have only lost their last match before a FIFA World Cup tournament once in their 16 previous participations at the finals , a 1-7 defeat to Hungary in a friendly prior to 1954. Harry Kane has scored 11 goals in his last 11 appearances for England in all competitions.
This could be his first international game against Costa Rica; he has scored against 35 different nations for the Three Lions, at least seven more than any other player. Josimar Alcócer, who assisted Andrey Soto’s goal in Costa Rica’s 3-1 defeat to Colombia last time out, attempted the third-most take-ons in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League this season , while only Rafiki Saïd attempted more shots following a take-on than his nine.
Please follow us on Google to support us United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
World Cup LIVE: England news conference before final World Cup warm-upWatch England's news conference before the final warm-up game against Costa Rica with the World Cup set to start on Thursday.
Read more »
World Cup warm-up LIVE: England vs Costa Rica: score, radio commentary, text updates & match statsListen to BBC Radio 5 Live commentary, follow text and score updates and track the latest match stats as England take on Costa Rica in their final warm-up match before the World Cup.
Read more »
World Cup 2026: England cannot win World Cup while obsessing over Jude Bellingham, Tuchel saysThomas Tuchel says England cannot win the World Cup if they obsess about the role of Jude Bellingham or any other star.
Read more »
World Cup Supercomputer predicts if England will win the World Cup or notA World Cup 2026 supercomputer has predicted England's chances of wining the tournament, with France providing stiff opposition.
Read more »