England vs Costa Rica Preview, Prediction & Lineups Pre-World Cup Friendly

England host Costa Rica in a Pre-World Cup Friendly on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, with kickoff set for 4:00 PM ET / 8:00 PM UTC / 9:00 PM BST / 1:00 AM PKT June 11 at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando. The Three Lions use their final Florida friendly before the FIFA World Cup 2026 to sharpen a Group L squad, while Costa Rica travel under Fernando Batista after missing qualification.

England bring Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and a Thomas Tuchel squad that still needs rhythm after a mixed March window. Costa Rica bring experience through Keylor Navas, Francisco Calvo and Joel Campbell, but Batista must solve defensive spacing against a stronger opponent. The England vs Costa Rica prediction weighs recent form, team news, H2H context, tactical matchup and projected lineups before a direct score call.

England vs Costa Rica Prediction

England have the stronger squad, the clearer World Cup incentive and a favourable venue setup in Florida. Costa Rica can frustrate the game if Navas and the back line stay compact, but the recent defensive record makes that a hard ask. England should create enough chances through Saka, Bellingham and Kane.

Prediction: England 3-0 Costa Rica. Tuchel’s side need a cleaner attacking display after the March results, and this match gives them the right type of opponent to reset rhythm. Costa Rica may hold out for spells, yet England’s bench should stretch the final half-hour.

Projected Lineups

Official starting XIs are yet to be confirmed. The projected lineups below use latest squad patterns, recent selections and the tactical needs of both teams before kickoff.

England

4-2-3-1

1Jordan PickfordEvertonGK

21Tino LivramentoNewcastle UnitedRB

5John StonesManchester CityCB

6Marc GuéhiCrystal PalaceCB

15Dan BurnNewcastle UnitedLB

4Declan RiceArsenalCM

8Jordan HendersonAjaxCM

10Jude BellinghamReal MadridCAM

7Bukayo SakaArsenalRW

9Harry KaneBayern MunichST

11Anthony GordonNewcastle UnitedLW

Costa Rica

4-3-3

1Keylor NavasNewell’s Old BoysGK

22Haxzel QuirósHeredianoRB

15Francisco CalvoHataysporCB

3Juan Pablo VargasMillonariosCB

8Joseph MoraSaprissaLB

14Orlando GaloHeredianoCDM

17Jefferson BrenesSaprissaCM

10Brandon AguileraRio AveCM

21Álvaro ZamoraArisRW

9Manfred UgaldeSpartak MoscowST

12Joel CampbellAlajuelenseLW

Projected lineup view · England vs Costa Rica · official XIs yet to be confirmed

Match Details

England vs Costa Rica H2H Record

England and Costa Rica have two clean senior meetings before the Orlando friendly. They drew 0-0 at the 2014 World Cup, then England won 2-0 in a 2018 warm-up at Elland Road. That record gives England the edge, although both teams arrive with different coaches and different squad priorities.

The H2H angle matters because Costa Rica have frustrated England before in tournament conditions. Tuchel’s side cannot treat this as a routine possession drill. Batista will want Costa Rica to keep the game compact, slow England’s central combinations and use Ugalde or Campbell as release points.

England vs Costa Rica H2H Record

England

1

Verified Wins

Total meetings2

Draws1

Last meetingEngland 2-0 Costa Rica, 2018

Biggest winEngland 2-0 Costa Rica

World Cup meetings1

Costa Rica

0

Verified Wins

Recent senior meetingsEngland drew 0-0 with Costa Rica at the 2014 World Cup and won 2-0 in a 2018 friendly.

England vs Costa Rica Recent Form

England’s recent form carries a useful warning before the World Cup. Tuchel’s team drew 1-1 with Uruguay and lost 1-0 to Japan in March, which made chance creation and attacking rhythm major talking points. The qualifying run stayed strong, yet the final warm-up needs more tempo than the March matches produced.

Costa Rica’s recent form shows why Batista has a demanding rebuild. The heavy defeats to Brazil and IR Iran exposed defensive gaps, while the 0-0 draw with Honduras ended their World Cup hopes. Los Ticos still have experienced names, but they need a cleaner midfield screen to survive England’s pressure in Orlando.

England vs Costa Rica Tactical Preview

England should work from a 4-2-3-1 that gives Bellingham freedom behind Kane. Rice can anchor the midfield, Henderson can manage tempo, and Saka can attack the outside shoulder of Costa Rica’s left-back. If Tuchel wants more control, he can ask the full-backs to advance in alternating phases rather than together.

Costa Rica are more likely to defend in a compact 4-3-3 or 4-5-1. Batista needs Galo and Brenes to protect the centre-backs, because England can overload Zone 14 through Bellingham and Kane’s dropping movement. Ugalde gives Costa Rica a direct outlet, but he may spend long spells working without close support.

Inter&Co Stadium should give England a useful tournament-climate rehearsal before Group L. The key for Tuchel is attacking speed after regains, not just sterile possession. Costa Rica’s best route is a low block, quick first pass and set pieces aimed at Calvo or Vargas.

England vs Costa Rica Team News

Costa Rica Team News

Costa Rica arrive in Orlando in a new phase under Fernando Batista, who replaced Miguel Herrera after the failed World Cup qualification campaign. Los Ticos missed the 2026 tournament after the decisive Concacaf window, so this friendly is about rebuilding habits rather than tournament rehearsal. Batista has to restore confidence while still giving senior players enough structure against an elite opponent.

Keylor Navas, Francisco Calvo, Juan Pablo Vargas, Orlando Galo, Brandon Aguilera, Manfred Ugalde and Joel Campbell remain important reference points for Costa Rica. The recent defeats to Brazil and IR Iran showed how quickly the back line can be exposed when midfield distances open. Batista needs a compact shape in Orlando because England can punish loose spacing through Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Harry Kane.

England Team News

England have named a 26-man World Cup squad under Thomas Tuchel, with Harry Kane leading the forward line and Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka giving the team a strong tournament spine. Tuchel’s selection also includes Ivan Toney and Ollie Watkins, so the Costa Rica match can help decide how England manage striker minutes before Group L begins.

The March friendlies left Tuchel with clear questions after a 1-1 draw with Uruguay and a 1-0 defeat to Japan. England’s Florida camp gives him one last chance to test the tempo, full-back roles and set-piece routines before Croatia, Ghana and Panama. The likely plan is to keep core players involved without exposing them to unnecessary late-match workload.

Frequently Asked Questions

Read Also: England vs Costa Rica live stream and England vs Costa Rica live score.