What to expect from England's World Cup preparation camp

England’s bid to win the FIFA 2026 World Cup will begin in earnest on Monday 1 June as the Three Lions fly to the United States to begin their preparations.

Jetting into Florida, Thomas Tuchel and his 26-man squad will be based in Miami for the duration of their preparation camp before moving onto their basecamp in Kansas City for the tournament.

But while two warm-up matches will be the focus in The Sunshine State, the training camp will also see the inclusion of young talents, the chance to hear from the squad and much more.

New Zealand and Costa Rica

Tuchel will have two games to run the rule over his squad before England kick off their World Cup campaign against Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday 17 June.

Firstly, the Three Lions take on fellow tournament competitors New Zealand at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on Saturday 6 June (4pm local/9pm BST kick-off).

The fixture will be only the third meeting between the two countries’ men’s sides and the first in 35 years, with England having won two friendly matches back in June 1991.

Four days later, Tuchel’s men face Costa Rica at the Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando on Wednesday 10 June (4pm local/9pm BST kick-off).

Los Ticos, who failed to qualify for this summer’s tournament having reached the previous three, will also be facing England for the third time, having battled to a 0-0 draw in the group stage of the 2014 World Cup and lost 2-0 in a friendly at Elland Road in 2018.

Both games will play a crucial part in the Three Lions’ preparations before attention turns to Croatia and the remaining Group L fixtures against Ghana and Panama in Boston and New York/New Jersey respectively.

If you're not an ESTC member, tickets for the New Zealand game can be purchased here and tickets for the Costa Rica game can be purchased here. 

Press conferences will take place on MD-1. Download the official England app and keep an eye out for full coverage.

Young Lions

While Tuchel named his 26-man World Cup squad last week, the England head coach also revealed that those picked wouldn’t be the only players on their way across the Atlantic.

The Three Lions boss has invited a number of England youth internationals – including two members of Lee Carsley’s UEFA U21 EURO-winning team – to join next week’s preparation camp, giving them the chance to experience the build-up to a major tournament for the first time.

AFC Bournemouth’s Alex Scott, Fulham’s Josh King, Liverpool’s Rio Ngumoha and Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Marseille, will all play key roles as the Three Lions gear up for their first group game.

Speaking about his decision, 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.

“That showed me his character and I’m delighted he’ll be with us because that was a close call and he gets a chance to get a step closer and a cap.”

Brighton’s Jason Steele will also link up with the squad, becoming a training goalkeeper for both the Florida camp and the tournament itself.