England has confirmed their opponents for two friendly matches in March as part of their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. The Three Lions will face Uruguay on March 27th and Japan on March 31st, with both matches being held at Wembley Stadium.
These fixtures will be the final opportunity for players to impress England manager Thomas Tuchel before he selects his 26-man World Cup squad in May. Tuchel expressed his satisfaction with the choice of opponents, highlighting that both Uruguay and Japan are ranked in the top 20 globally and represent teams from outside of Europe.
"We are really pleased to have these two fixtures confirmed as our World Cup year takes shape," said Tuchel. "We wanted to play two teams ranked in the top 20 in the world, but also to test ourselves against opponents from outside of Europe. After Friday's draw, the excitement for next year is really building and we can't wait to see our fans again at Wembley."
England are in Group L at the World Cup, alongside Croatia, Ghana, and Panama. Their group matches will be held in Dallas, Boston, and New York/New Jersey, respectively.
The match against Uruguay will be the first meeting between the two sides in England since March 2006, when England won 2-1 at Anfield. Peter Crouch and Joe Cole scored for England in that match. The most recent encounter was at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where Uruguay prevailed 2-1. In the overall head-to-head record, England has won three and drawn three of their eleven meetings.
England has faced Japan on only three previous occasions, with their last match being in May 2010, leading up to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where England won 2-1. The only time they have met at Wembley was in June 1995.
These matches against Uruguay and Japan are considered a step up in quality of opposition, especially after England's perfect record in World Cup qualification. Uruguay is currently ranked 16th in the world, while Japan is ranked 18th. Both nations will also be participating in the 2026 World Cup.
In addition to these two friendlies, England is expected to play two more warm-up games in the United States before the World Cup begins. Details for these matches are yet to be confirmed. Ticket information for the Uruguay and Japan matches at Wembley is available at wembleystadium.com/tickets.
