England complete their World Cup preparations when they face Costa Rica in Orlando on Wednesday evening, with Thomas Tuchel getting one final opportunity to fine-tune his squad before next week's tournament opener against Croatia.
While the result itself will quickly be forgotten, the performance carries greater importance after a series of underwhelming displays in recent friendlies. England remain among the favourites to lift the trophy in North America, but Tuchel will want to see sharper attacking play, greater cohesion and improved intensity before the serious business begins.
England's route to the World Cup was straightforward. They won all eight qualifying matches, scored 22 goals and did not concede a single goal. Their defensive record was the standout statistic, but they also demonstrated consistent attacking quality throughout a group campaign they controlled from start to finish. Expectations are understandably high heading into the tournament and Tuchel has inherited a squad packed with talent across every area of the pitch.
Costa Rica arrive in a very different position. Their hopes of reaching the World Cup ended after they finished behind Haiti and Honduras in the final round of CONCACAF qualifying. They managed only one victory from six matches and were comfortably beaten 3-1 by Colombia in their most recent outing.
The squad has also been disrupted by disciplinary issues, with Alejandro Bran, Kenneth Vargas and Warren Madrigal all sent home following an alleged off-field incident. Long-time goalkeeper Keylor Navas is absent too, with manager Miguel Herrera looking towards a new generation as Costa Rica begin planning for the next cycle.
How the bookies view it
England are priced at 2/11, implying an 84.6% probability of victory. Costa Rica are available at 18/1, implying 5.3%, while the draw is 15/2, implying 11.8%.
Over 2.5 goals is priced at 4/7, implying a 63.6% probability.
Head to head: England yet to concede
These sides have met only twice. Their first encounter came during the 2014 World Cup group stage when a cautious contest finished 0-0. England then secured a 2-0 victory in a pre-World Cup friendly ahead of the 2018 tournament thanks to goals from Marcus Rashford and Danny Welbeck.
Costa Rica have never beaten England and have yet to score against them. While the sample size is small, the gap between the two nations appears considerably larger now than it did during either of those previous meetings. England arrive with genuine ambitions of winning the World Cup, while Costa Rica are entering a rebuilding phase following a disappointing qualifying campaign.
Player to watch: Harry Kane to score yet again
Harry Kane remains England's most important attacking player and enters the World Cup in excellent form. The captain has scored 79 goals in 113 appearances for his country and continues to deliver at both international and club level.
His numbers for Bayern Munich this season were exceptional. Across all competitions Kane scored 67 goals from 215 shots, with 123 efforts hitting the target. He consistently averaged more than three shots per game and nearly two shots on target per match, highlighting both the volume and quality of chances he continues to generate.
Kane was equally effective during qualifying. He scored eight goals across England's eight victories and registered braces against Latvia, Serbia and Albania. His movement inside the penalty area remains among the best in world football and he remains England's primary source of goals whenever they face opponents willing to defend deep.
Costa Rica struggled defensively throughout qualifying and conceded chances regularly against stronger opposition. If England dominate possession as expected, Kane should receive opportunities to extend his remarkable international scoring record.
Predicted lineups
England 4-2-3-1: Pickford; James, Stones, Guehi, Lewis-Skelly; Anderson, Rice; Saka, Bellingham, Rashford; Kane.
Costa Rica 4-4-2: Chamorro; Quiros, Faerron, Vargas, Taylor; Rojas, Aguilera, Galo, Mora; Martinez, Ugalde.
Anything else catch the eye?
The obvious temptation is to back England to win comfortably given the gulf in quality between the two sides. England possess superior players across every area of the pitch and should control possession for long periods. Even so, there are several reasons to believe this may not develop into a high-scoring contest.
Tuchel's primary focus is next week's opener against Croatia. Avoiding injuries, managing workloads and ensuring players are physically ready for tournament football will take priority over chasing an emphatic scoreline. England rotated heavily against New Zealand and further changes throughout this match would not be a surprise.
The conditions are another factor. Orlando's heat and humidity are likely to reduce the tempo, particularly during the second half. Friendly matches played in these conditions often become slower and more controlled as managers prioritise fitness management over intensity.
England have also shown little evidence of attacking explosiveness in their recent friendlies. Despite dominating possession in spells, they have failed to score more than once in any match during 2026. The return of key attacking players strengthens the squad, but this still feels like a match where control will matter more than entertainment.
Costa Rica are unlikely to contribute much going forward, but they generally remain compact and organised. Four of their six final-round qualifiers ended level and they often succeed in slowing games down against stronger opponents. Their objective here will simply be to remain competitive for as long as possible.
England should have too much quality over 90 minutes and Kane looks well placed to make the difference once again. A professional rather than spectacular performance appears the most likely outcome, with England securing victory without needing to score four or more goals.
GambleAware