England Win Over Costa Rica Delivers What Tuchel Wanted Ahead Of World Cup

England completed World Cup preparations with a 3-0 victory over Costa Rica that pleased Thomas Tuchel and extended several impressive streaks. Goals from Declan Rice, Anthony Gordon and Ollie Watkins sealed the friendly win, as England stayed unbeaten against North and Central American teams and maintained a strong run of form away from home or at neutral grounds.

The result meant England are now 17 games without defeat against opponents from North or Central America, with a record of 13 wins and four draws in that run. That sequence includes all three meetings with Costa Rica, where England now hold two wins and one draw, giving Tuchel a strong platform before the World Cup opener against Croatia on June 17.

Tuchel’s team also continued a series of defensive records in matches played away or at neutral venues. England have now won nine such games in a row, which is their longest streak of that type. They have also produced seven straight clean sheets in these fixtures, another record for the Three Lions in non-home matches.

Across all 14 matches under Tuchel in every competition, England have kept 11 clean sheets, underlining the team’s solid structure. Opponents have managed only 75 shots in that time, with Costa Rica limited to a single attempt. Expected goals against across those 14 games stands at 6.4, with Costa Rica generating just 0.03.

Tuchel expressed clear satisfaction with the display in the final warm-up match before the tournament. "We did very well, and we deserved to win," Tuchel told ITV. The head coach viewed the performance as a positive sign that England are ready for the higher stakes of the World Cup and the challenge of facing Croatia next.

England vs Costa Rica attacking display and squad impact

Although England scored three times, Tuchel felt the margin could have been greater given the chances created. The match also highlighted depth across the squad, with players coming from the bench and those waiting to enter both contributing to a competitive environment that Tuchel welcomed ahead of the tournament in the United States.

"We should have had more goals - we created a lot. The attitude, the energy, the intensity was on a very high level. Everyone did well. It is not about one individual player today. A very good team performance and we want to have this to push to the next level, and we clearly got it. Thismakes my mind very calm as we're absolutely on the right way. The guys who came were super influential. The guys who came out were pushing from behind on the bench - exactly what we wanted. What we saw was exactly what we wished for and exactly what we wanted. Very proud. Next stop, Kansas."

The Costa Rica win left England with strong recent form, defensive assurance and attacking rhythm heading into the World Cup. With key players scoring, the squad engaged, and records falling in away and neutral matches, Tuchel will take the team to Kansas for the Croatia game with confidence built on clear evidence from the warm-up schedule.