Form and Line-up England
England continue their gradual adaptation to the climatic conditions in North America. Last Saturday, the team played a tough warm-up game against New Zealand in Tampa, which ended in a narrow 1:0 win thanks to a Harry Kane goal. Thomas Tuchel was openly unhappy with the quality of the performance, although he pointed to the extreme heat and the poor state of the pitch. In that match, the German specialist used two completely different line-ups in each half, giving 22 players game time.
Against Costa Rica, the time for experiments is over - Tuchel will name a side as close as possible to his strongest one. England's main boost comes with the arrival in camp of the Arsenal quartet: Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze have fully recovered after the Champions League final and are ready to start. The return of Rice and Saka should sharply increase the attacking potential of a team who have yet to score more than once in a game in 2026.
Key numbers for England:
They are fourth in the current FIFA national team rankings.
They did not concede a single goal in eight qualifying matches.
Each of England's last 12 wins in all competitions has come with a clean sheet.
Probable England line-up (4-2-3-1)
Jordan Pickford - Tino Livramento, Ezri Konsa, Dan Burn, Nico O'Reilly - Declan Rice, Jordan Henderson - Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, Eberechi Eze - Harry Kane.
Form and Line-up Costa Rica
Costa Rica are going through one of the most painful periods in their modern history. The team failed badly in the 2026 World Cup qualifying cycle, losing their chance of reaching the tournament ahead of schedule. The federation's management took radical measures by dismissing Miguel Herrera and appointing Argentine specialist Fernando Batista in March 2026, known for his successful work with youth national teams and the Venezuela national team. Batista immediately set a course for strict discipline and a complete rejuvenation of the squad with an eye on the 2030 World Cup.
The current Costa Rica side are young and lacking cohesion, with 27 of the 28 called-up players under the age of 30. The role of leader and most experienced player has unexpectedly passed to 24-year-old Spartak Moscow forward Manfred Ugalde. Batista's main problem at the start of his spell is a complete disaster in the defensive line. In their first three matches under the Argentine, Los Ticos lost to Colombia (1:3), drew with Jordan (2:2) and were ruthlessly thrashed by Iran (0:5).
Key numbers for Costa Rica:
They are 52nd in the FIFA world rankings.
They have conceded 10 goals in their last three friendlies under the new head coach.
The last time they beat a top-level European national team in normal time was back in 2014, against Italy at the World Cup in Brazil.
Probable Costa Rica line-up (4-1-4-1)
Patrick Sequeira - Haxzel Quiros, Jeyland Mitchell, Fernan Faerron, Darril Araya - Aaron Salazar - Carlos Mora, Orlando Galo, Andrey Soto, Josimar Alcocer - Manfred Ugalde.
