England vs Costa Rica Prediction
🔊 The Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando will host a rare clash between two sides whose paths seldom cross. With just one week remaining before the start of the World Cup, England are fine-tuning their preparations ahead of their opening match against Croatia. Costa Rica, arriving in Florida hampered by significant squad absences, will serve as the final test for the Three Lions. Can Los Ticos avoid a heavy defeat?
Head-to-Head
📊 These national teams have crossed paths before in the build-up to a World Cup. Ahead of the tournament in Russia, England claimed a 2-0 victory in a friendly at Elland Road, with goals from Marcus Rashford and Danny Welbeck.
H2H Stats Matches and Previous Teams Results
England Team Overview
Thomas Tuchel’s side head into their final warm-up match on the back of a narrow win over New Zealand (1-0)-a result that raised more questions than answers. Harry Kane’s strike on the stroke of half-time was the lone highlight in a performance where the Three Lions often looked sluggish and lacked cutting edge. That is reflected in their modest expected goals tally (xG 1.49) from 23 attempts.
Tuchel rotated his line-up completely at half-time, but was left unimpressed with the overall quality on display. The German boss has promised to field a line-up as close as possible to the one set to start the World Cup opener against Croatia. England are in desperate need of a convincing performance, having yet to deliver one in 2026. They were unable to beat either Uruguay (1-1) or Japan (0-1) even at Wembley.
Match Results: England
Costa Rica Team Overview
Fernando Batista’s side currently sit 51st in the FIFA rankings and have hardly set the world alight. “Los Ticos” last celebrated a win back in October 2025, under the guidance of Miguel Herrera. Since Batista-who was dismissed by the Venezuela national team-took charge of Costa Rica in February, results have been nothing short of disastrous.
They made a decent start with a draw against Jordan (2-2), but things quickly unraveled with a heavy defeat to Iran (0-5) and a 1-3 loss to Colombia in their opening match of June. The root of Costa Rica’s struggles is painfully clear: a lack of quality in the squad, with no players featuring in Europe’s top five leagues. Their most valuable asset is Manfred Ugalde of Spartak Moscow, valued at €15 million.
Match Results: Costa Rica
Latest news
England
✔ Four Arsenal players - Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, and Eberechi Eze - sat out the match against New Zealand to recover after the Champions League final, but have now linked up with the squad. All players who featured against the New Zealanders came through unscathed.
Costa Rica
🚫 Alejandro Bran, Kenneth Vargas, and Warren Madrigal have been sent home from the national team camp due to disciplinary breaches. Police are currently investigating a shooting incident outside a bar involving Bran’s car. Alvaro Zamora has also been dropped from the squad, as he was set to get married and the coach felt he wouldn’t be fully focused on the match. Legendary goalkeeper Keylor Navas was not called up, with Batista looking for a long-term replacement between the posts.
⚽ Goals Prediction
England were underwhelming in their clash with New Zealand, managing just a single goal. However, with Rice, Saka, Eze, and Madueke now available to Tuchel, their attacking options look far more dynamic. Costa Rica, who have conceded eight goals in their last two friendlies, appear particularly vulnerable at the back. With Tuchel promising a near full-strength lineup, the Three Lions are expected to score at least three times-a mark they haven’t hit since October. Our pick: England over 2.5 team goals at odds of 1.90*.
🚩 Corners Prediction
The “founding fathers” dominated against New Zealand, winning eight corners, and racked up 18 across their two March fixtures. Costa Rica lack the tools to contain the favourite’s attacking threat-under pressure, their defenders are likely to clear the ball out for corners rather than risk mistakes. England’s relentless attacks should lead to plenty of deliveries into the box, making over 6.5 corners for the nominal hosts at odds of 1.96* an appealing bet. The Three Lions have surpassed this line in six of their last seven friendlies.
*Odds are approximate and may vary between bookmakers.
Editorial Prediction
This final friendly before the World Cup offers England a chance to move on from their uninspiring win over New Zealand and put on a show for the fans. For Tuchel, it’s not just about getting a result-it’s about delivering a confident victory to boost morale ahead of their clash with Croatia, especially with Arsenal’s Thomas now available for selection. Costa Rica’s defence, which has been leaking goals, will be under serious pressure here, and the signs point to a convincing win for England. All things considered, a rout looks likely. Our score prediction is 4-0, and our main bet is England to win with a -1.5 handicap.
Betting Tips: England - Costa Rica
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in 9 of last 10 Costa Rica games (Int. Friendly Games).Comparison of Teams Stats
Other predictions
