England's late 2026 World Cup start gives FA headache over warm-up matches

England's Late Start to 2026 World Cup Causes Hurdles for Team Preparations

Thomas Tuchel, the head coach of England's national team, is facing a challenge in securing suitable opposition for the team's warm-up games due to their late start to the 48-team tournament. The first match between Mexico and South Africa will take place six days before England opens against Croatia on June 17.

Tuchel wants his players to have final preparation games as close to their World Cup kick-off as possible, but finding high-calibre opponents is proving difficult due to FIFA regulations that prevent teams from playing friendlies in the five days leading up to the tournament. The only options available are teams that will be playing on June 16 and 17.

England's warm-up schedule has been impacted by their late start, with eight games scheduled over a condensed period of 33 days if they make it to the final match. Tuchel wants his players to have some time off at the end of the season but is also aware that many team members will be involved in the Champions League final on May 30, which means they won't be able to take a break with the squad.

The FA is currently discussing possible opponents with several national associations and is considering New Zealand, who have qualified for the tournament, or Costa Rica, who have not. Given the limited options available, finding suitable warm-up games will be crucial for England's success in the World Cup.

Ugh I feel bad for them... they got a really weird schedule . Six days before their first match? That's crazy! I mean, if I was on that team I would need like at least two weeks to get into form . And can you believe there are only 2 options left? NZ and Costa Rica? Really FIFA? . It's gonna be tough for them to practice with decent opponents... fingers crossed they can make it work tho .

I'm worried about England's team prep ... I think they're gonna struggle with this late start . They need those last-minute games to get their players fully ready for the World Cup, but it's hard to find opponents when most teams are either playing friendlies or have their own matches scheduled . The only options they've got are playing against weaker teams on June 16 and 17, which might not be ideal for England's squad. I hope the FA can figure out some decent warm-up games for them ASAP ...

England's 48-team WC just became a WC for managers instead of players FIFA needs to rethink those 'regulations' ASAP

ugh what a joke that they're running so late to the 2026 world cup I mean can't they just get their act together already?

i feel bad for thomas tuchel he's gotta deal with this headache and still try to prepare his team for the big event but it's like, come on FIFA get your stuff together why do you need five days of no friendlies leading up to the tournament anyway?

and 33 days for all those games is insane i mean can't they just have a few more warm-up matches or something? and costa rica vs new zealand sounds about right i guess since they're not exactly powerhouses in football

i'm just curious who's gonna lose because of this crazy scheduling i'm rooting for england to make it to the final lol

man... england's late start to the world cup is gonna affect their team prep big time . they wanna play some final warm-up games before the tournament but it's like, impossible to find good opponents with those fifa rules. i get why they want to keep the squad fresh and all that, but six days is a long way off from the actual kick-off . costa rica or new zealand might not be the toughest opposition tho... guess they'll just have to make do

Can you believe England is showing up to the party a bit late? I mean, literally! They're like the friend who always forgets to RSVP... and then shows up on time expecting everyone else to have fun without them . And now they've got to deal with FIFA's strict rules about friendlies, which are basically just a fancy word for "we don't want you messing around before the big game". Fair enough, I guess! But still, it's gonna be tough for Tuchel and the team to get some decent warm-up games in. Maybe they can just play some friendly matches with New Zealand or Costa Rica... who knows, maybe they'll surprise us all and become the new underdog story .

I'm low-key worried about England's chances with this late start, you know? It's like they're throwing their opponents under a bus , and it's gonna be tough to find decent teams to play against . I mean, who wants to get trounced by Costa Rica or New Zealand before the big game? Not exactly gonna boost morale . Tuchel needs to get creative with his warm-up schedule, maybe try some multi-team friendlies or something . Can't wait to see how this all plays out #FIFAregulations #TeamPrep #EnglandWorldCup

Ugh, can't even... England's late start to the 2026 World Cup is really gonna hurt 'em. I mean, six days before they even kick off? That's a lot of time to mess up your prep games. And it's not like they can just pick and choose who they play against either - FIFA's all strict about that. So now they're stuck with whoever's got a game on the 16th or 17th, which is basically just gonna be some weak squad B team from New Zealand or Costa Rica... I feel bad for Tuchel and the lads - it's like they're getting handed a deck of cards with all the worst possible warm-up opponents. It's def a red flag for England's chances in the World Cup this year...

think england's got a tough road ahead of them... dont get me wrong i love the 3 lions and all but this late start is gonna be a challenge especially with the champions league final on may 30 that's like, right before their first match it'll be hard for them to get any real game time against decent opponents hopefully they can scrounge up some decent warm-up matches tho

This late start by England is giving me major déjà vu... they're always rushing into things and then wonder why they don't perform as well as they should . I get that Tuchel wants his players to have final prep games close to the World Cup, but can't they just plan ahead a bit more? It's not like there are an endless number of teams out there who'd be stoked to play England... I mean, come on, New Zealand and Costa Rica? That's basically playing against teams that are 10+ years younger than them . The FA needs to step up their game here, find some decent opponents ASAP, or risk underwhelming the team .

Ugh, I just think it's so unfair that England is getting slammed with such a tight schedule . Like, can't they just get some decent opponents for once? They need those final prep games to really get their minds right and work out all the kinks before the World Cup. But noooo, FIFA has all these rules in place that basically limit them to playing whoever is free on June 16 and 17 . And New Zealand or Costa Rica? Really? Those aren't exactly top-tier teams . I mean, can't they just get some decent warm-up games for once? It's gonna be super tough for the team to even come close to being ready with this crazy schedule .

omg what a mess england is doing to their squad lol they're basically throwing them into the deep end with no warm-up games whatsoever i mean tuchel wants his players to be sharp and ready but finding decent opponents is impossible due to those restrictive fifa rules and to make matters worse, the fa has to scramble for some dodgy teams like new zealand or costa rica if they wanna have any chance at the world cup, england needs to sort this out ASAP

omg this is crazy! england's gonna struggle to get some decent warm up matches i mean tuchel wants his players to get as close to the actual world cup as possible but it's like fifa's being super strict about friendlies can't they just make an exception for one team? new zealand or costa rica might be decent options tho let's hope tuchel and the fa can scramble up some good games for england they're gonna need it for that world cup!

I don’t usually comment but... I feel bad for Thomas Tuchel, man . It’s like FIFA is playing hardball on him and the squad. Late start to the tournament already puts them at a disadvantage, now they gotta scramble for decent warm-up games? It’s not ideal, especially with the Champions League final coming up and players needing some time off .

They should really consider more options, you know? Like, can’t they just have a quick friendly match or two to get the team going? I don’t wanna be one of those people saying “I told you so” but this is kinda gonna affect their performance in the World Cup . Fingers crossed for England, though!

Ugh, this late start to the 2026 World Cup is super annoying! I mean, can't FIFA just relax the rules a bit? Thomas Tuchel deserves better than having to settle for teams that are already warming up on the same days as England's matches. And what about all the other teams that need warm-up games too?! It's not like they can just play each other, you know?

I've been following the Premier League and I know how hard it is to get decent opposition for the team during the regular season. Now imagine having to scramble for a friendly match five days before the World Cup! The FA needs to figure out some way to accommodate all these teams or at least give England's players a bit more time to prep.

I'm hoping they can pull off something clever and get some top-notch warm-up games lined up. Otherwise, this could be a disaster for England...

OMG like what's goin on w/ england tho? they gotta play 8 games in like 33 days?? that's crazy! and cant even get a good warm up game cuz of fifa rules... i know tuchel is tryna prep the squad but these regulations r killin it . anythin but costa rica cant be bothered playin against them... new zealand tho might b ok we gotta stick w/ england 2nite

I'm so bummed that England's getting off to a late start . It's like they're trying to fit all their prep into a tiny schedule and it's just gonna be super stressful for the team, especially with the Champions League final happening around the same time . I get that FIFA regulations can be limiting, but come on, how hard is it to find some decent opponents in the days leading up to the tournament? It'd be great if they could schedule a few more games against teams like Argentina or Spain, you know, some of the top contenders . But I guess we'll just have to wait and see what the FA comes up with... probably something like New Zealand or Costa Rica

Ugh, can't believe they're playing the World Cup that late! Like, how are teams supposed to get into rhythm if they just show up on the 17th? It's gonna be super tough for England to find decent opponents too... I mean, you've got Mexico and South Africa as options but come on, it's not exactly the strongest competition. Don't get me wrong, I love Tuchel and all, but this warm-up schedule is just all over the place . They need some decent games to get those players ready or they're gonna be in for a rough ride at the World Cup...

the thing about england's late start to the world cup is kinda weird - i mean, they're basically going into the tournament with no real prep matches against top teams... it's gonna be tough for them to get their game face on . and the fa's gotta scramble around to find some decent opponents . new zealand or costa rica might not be the most intense matches for england though... maybe they should've made more of an effort to secure some better warm-up games