England fans are celebrating this morning after England’s victory over Costa Rica in their final warm-up game before the 2026 World Cup tournament kicks off proper.
Declan Rice returned to the England team last night for a morale-boosting 3-0 victory against Costa Rica - delayed by a heavy thunderstorm in Florida. Kick-off in Orlando was set back by an hour after the storm, with England hoping to end their 2026 World Cup warm-up campaign with an emphatic victory, having scraped a 1-0 win in Saturday’s workout against New Zealand.
And Thomas Tuchel’s side responded, raising their game a week out from their curtain-raiser against Croatia. After the storm delays, the Three Lions wasted no time when play finally got under way as vice-captain Rice gave them an early lead.
Anthony Gordon set up the returning Arsenal star and the Barcelona new boy slammed home a second-half penalty as Tuchel’s men finally made their dominance count in a one-sided, and at times testy, encounter.
Ollie Watkins added another as the England boss got an encouraging response from his substitutes having changed all 11 players again, albeit after the hour mark having done so at half-time in Tampa.
England started with a strong-looking team at the Inter&Co Stadium, where an impressive drainage system cleared a waterlogged pitch and ensured a tropical storm only delayed kick-off by an hour until 5pm local time (10pm UK).
England's Declan Rice, right, celebrates with teammate Anthony Gordon after scoring a goal against Costa Rica during an international friendly soccer match between Costa Rica and Englandplaceholder image
England's Declan Rice, right, celebrates with teammate Anthony Gordon after scoring a goal against Costa Rica during an international friendly soccer match between Costa Rica and England | AP Photo/John Raoux
Jude Bellingham got the nod as number 10 ahead of Morgan Rogers and saw an early effort deflect wide before another player that will be playing in LaLiga next season provided the assist for a ninth-minute opener.
Gordon, full of confidence following his big-money move to Barca, attacked his man down the left and cut the ball back for Rice to sweep home via a deflection. Gordon continued to prove a handful as Costa Rica rocked, with goalkeeper Patrick Sequeira superbly denying a Harry Kane header and then a Noni Madueke strike into the ground.
Kane’s goal from a quickly-taken free-kick was disallowed as England continued to push, with Madueke allowing himself a rueful laugh after expertly rolling the ball away from onrushing Sequeira only to hit the frame of the goal.
Los Ticos offered little by way of attacking threat, even when gifted the ball by Jordan Pickford, but were proving a physical opposition and the mood got heated at times. Referee Katja Koroleva overturned a stoppage-time penalty that Kane was waiting to take after reviewing Shawn Johnson’s challenge on Gordon and Tuchel’s side returned unchanged.
Madueke went close and Nico O’Reilly was just unable to get away a shot as England continued to work in the oppressive Orlando heat.
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Tuchel made six changes in the 63rd minute, including introducing Bukayo Saka as he deals with an Achilles issue and Arsenal team-mate Eberechi Eze. The latter missed in the Champions League final penalty shootout and earned a spot-kick shortly after his introduction, with his strike handled after excellent work by Bellingham.
Gordon slammed home the resulting penalty in front of a wall of England fans, with five further changes swiftly following as they attacked with renewed intensity. Rogers struck narrowly wide, Marcus Rashford caused havoc and Watkins reacted well to nod home after the goalkeeper pushed Rogers’ skipping shot into his path three minutes from time.
'Football’s coming home' echoed around the ground as attention turns to next Wednesday’s opener against Croatia, with Saka striking across the face of goal and Eze seeing an effort cleared off the line in added time.
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