Ethan Nwaneri showed Thomas Tuchel what he, and England, will be missing out on when they kickstart their World Cup campaign next week.
10:49, 12 Jun 2026
Ethan Nwaneri of England looks on during a training session on June 05, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida
View 2 Images
Ethan Nwaneri during an England training session in Florida(Image: Photo by Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
Ethan Nwaneri made quite the impression during England's behind-closed-doors friendly against Miami United. The Arsenal midfielder fired the Three Lions to a 6-0 victory at Palm Beach Gardens on Thursday as Thomas Tuchel put the finishing touches on preparations for the World Cup.
England arranged to play the amateur side, who play in the fourth tier of football in the United States, for those who didn't play a prominent role in Wednesday's friendly against Costa Rica. The Three Lions boss also used the fixture, which was not played at full intensity, it has been revealed, to trial set-piece routines.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the clash against Miami United, Tuchel said: "It will be a match according to our rules. It will not be 90 minutes, maybe 60 minutes, maybe 2 x 30 or 2 x 25. It is to get some minutes into the legs of players who didn't get minutes against Costa Rica."
Ivan Toney scored a hat-trick, while Rio Ngumoha is said to have scored a brilliant goal from range. Nwaneri, who spent the second half of the season on loan at Marseille, and Jordan Henderson were also on target, finding the net against Claudio Frean's side.
FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
It's not said that England suffered knocks during the training match, meaning they're set to face Croatia at the Dallas Stadium on Wednesday night with a clean bill of health. Nwaneri was one of four young players not named in the 26-man squad to join the Three Lions in Florida this summer.
Tuchel also drafted Ngumoha, Alex Scott and Josh King to aid preparations for the World Cup. Shortly before England jetted off to the United States, the former Chelsea boss explained why he decided to bulk up the training camp.
Ethan Nwaneri during an England training session in Florida
View 2 Images
Ethan Nwaneri during an England training session in Florida
Last month, Tuchel said: "We will take some young players out who will train with us in the size of the squad that we need, and we have the two friendly matches to take care of the minutes and the load on the players.
"I’m happy to have these players, especially Alex, who was on the [long] list of 55 [players for the 26-man World Cup squad] and obviously he didn’t make the first cut, but the reaction of him was outstanding and the commitment and wish to be in pre-camp, and a step closer to the team was not even a question for him."
Meanwhile, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Harry Maguire, and Trent Alexander-Arnold were left at home. Tuchel later added: "I think from day one we were very clear that we are trying to select and build the best possible team, which is not necessarily to select and collect the 26 most talented players. Teams win championships; it is as simple as that."
Even though Nwaneri won't feature for England at the World Cup this summer, he appears to be thoroughly enjoying the experience in Miami. The Arsenal midfielder has uploaded pictures from his time in the England camp to his Instagram story throughout his stay.
Article continues below
Nwaneri was pictured smiling ear to ear during an indoor gym session before taking to the field for an in-house friendly alongside Ollie Watkins and Nico O'Reilly.
Welcome to 'Seeing Red' - our new Arsenal podcast
We've launched a new Arsenal podcast 'Seeing Red' with chief football writer John Cross and Arsenal reporter Tom Canton.
Each week, they will dive deep into the biggest topics as they follow Mikel Arteta's side every step of the way - and will also discuss nostalgic flashbacks before each fixture.
It's a great time to be an Arsenal fan, with the Gunners flying high under Arteta as they look to win silverware this season.
The North Londoners are going strong in the Premier League and Champions League - and they're also in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
We'll provide insight and reaction - and have fun along the way - as Arsenal target the biggest trophies this season.
No stone will be left unturned. VAR controversy? Poor performances? Unsung hero who deserves praise? Fixture chaos? We'll have it all covered.
Click here to view our YouTube channel
Click here to download our podcasts