Inter&Co Stadium gets an international showcase on Wednesday when England faces Costa Rica in the Three Lions’ final tune-up before the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. and the game will be airing on FS2.
It is the first time England’s men’s national team has played at the home of Orlando City and the Orlando Pride. The friendly caps a two-game preparation camp in Florida for Thomas Tuchel’s side, which beat New Zealand 1-0 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on Saturday.
“There was a lot of people wearing English tops and supporting us (Saturday), so you can definitely feel that sort of that love all the way over here,” England defender Tino Livramento said. “It’s a nice thing for us, and then we’re just excited to get going.”
Tuchel will have his full 26-man roster available for the first time this window. The Arsenal quartet of Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze joined camp after being given extra time off following the Champions League final on May 30. None of the four played against New Zealand, but Rice and Saka in particular are expected to slot into the starting lineup.
Tuchel used two entirely different lineups in each half against New Zealand and was candid afterward about wanting more. He told reporters he was “not super happy” with the performance despite his side’s 71% time of possession and 23 shots. Wednesday should offer a more polished look, though how much of his hand Tuchel is willing to show a week before a competitive opener remains an open question.
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Costa Rica, ranked 52nd in the world, presents a very different challenge than what awaits England in Group L. Los Ticos did not qualify for the World Cup and are in a full-scale rebuild under Argentine coach Fernando Batista, who was appointed in late February after the federation fired Miguel Herrera following a failed qualifying campaign. It was the first time since 2010 that Costa Rica missed the tournament.
The visitors’ most notable names are Spartak Moscow striker Manfred Ugalde, who leads the team with 11 international goals, and Sturm Graz defender Jeyland Mitchell. Costa Rica lost 3-1 to Colombia on June 1 and has not won in its past four matches.
The two sides have met only twice before: a 0-0 draw at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and a 2-0 England win in a 2018 friendly. Costa Rica has never scored against England.
Following Wednesday’s match, England will relocate to its tournament base camp in Kansas City ahead of the Group L opener against Croatia (June 17), with Ghana (June 23) and Panama (June 27) to follow.
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