England v Costa Rica prediction, lineups & tips: Tuchel's final World Cup dress rehearsal

Thomas Tuchel arrives at the Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando on Wednesday knowing this is his last genuine chance to settle on the XI that will face Croatia in Dallas on 17 June. England's final FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up against Costa Rica is less about the result and more about confirmation, of combinations, minutes, and whether the Arsenal contingent can slot back into the group seamlessly after joining camp late.

England laboured to a 1-0 win over New Zealand last Saturday, with Harry Kane's header on the stroke of half-time, his 79th international goal, the solitary moment of quality across a forgettable 90 minutes in Tampa. Tuchel fielded completely different XIs in each half, and has been open about his dissatisfaction with what he saw. The concern is one that has run through the entire calendar year: England have failed to score more than once in any match in 2026 so far. The defence, though, remains a platform. Each of England's last 12 victories has been to nil, their last goal conceded in a win coming in a 3-1 Nations League success over Finland in October 2024.

Tuchel's qualification record speaks for itself, eight wins from eight, 22 goals scored, none conceded, and the German goes into the tournament with genuine momentum. Speaking to assembled media on Tuesday, he was measured when asked about England's chances. "We can't be one of the favourites as we haven't won it for so long," he said. "We see ourselves as competitors and challengers." He added that the camp atmosphere has been positive and that all 31 players available to him are fit and ready.

Costa Rica, ranked 52nd by FIFA, will arrive at the Inter&Co Stadium in a state of some disarray. Fernando Batista, the Argentine coach appointed in March to lead the rebuild after Los Ticos missed out on the 2026 World Cup entirely, has yet to win a game in charge. His tenure began with a 2-2 draw against Jordan, was followed by a 5-0 loss to Iran, and then a 3-1 defeat to Colombia, the same opponents England's warm-up opponents faced only a fortnight ago. That is ten goals conceded in three games under Batista.

The off-field situation has made matters worse. Midfielder Alejandro Bran and forwards Kenneth Vargas and Warren Madrigal were all sent home from the June squad for disciplinary reasons, following an alleged incident in which Bran's car was hit by gunfire outside a bar in San José. The Costa Rican federation cited a failure to meet "the necessary conditions for continued participation" without elaborating further. Police investigations remain ongoing. Veteran goalkeeper Keylor Navas has also been left out, with Batista using the window to assess younger options ahead of the 2030 cycle.

Tuchel told reporters on Tuesday that he wants players to receive "bigger chunks of minutes" against Costa Rica after most were limited to 45 in the New Zealand game. He has 14 or 15 "proper starters" in mind and Wednesday's XI should give a clear indication of who they are. Bellingham started the second half against New Zealand wearing the captain's armband, but competition for the No.10 slot from Morgan Rogers remains an open question. On the left, Anthony Gordon and Marcus Rashford are pushing for the same berth. The centre-back pairing is similarly unsettled.

Tuchel is expected to abandon the rotation approach he used against New Zealand and name his closest to a first-choice side. The Arsenal players who were rested on Saturday, including Rice and Saka, should start, as should Bellingham, Reece James and Kane. The No.10 spot and the left-side berth remain the two genuine selection dilemmas going into Wednesday.

England: D Henderson; James, Stones, Guehi, O'Reilly; Mainoo, J Henderson; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane

Costa Rica: Sequeira; Mitchell, Faerron, Salazar, Araya; Galo, Soto; Mora, Alcocer, Nuñez; Ugalde

England v Costa Rica kicks off at 9pm BST on Wednesday, 10 June 2026 at the Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida. The match is live in the UK on ITV1, with coverage beginning at 8pm BST. UK viewers can also stream the game via the ITVX app or the ITV website.