England and Major Nations Prepare for World Cup Friendlies Ahead of 2026 Tournament

National teams across Europe and beyond are competing in a series of international friendlies to prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be the first tournament to feature 48 nations instead of the traditional 32. The expanded competition kicks off on June 11, with all participating countries staging warm-up matches in the coming days. Teams are adopting different preparation strategies—some remaining in Europe until the last moment, while others are heading to North America early to adjust to tournament conditions.

European Preparation Strategy

Several nations are completing their final warm-ups on home soil before departing for the host countries. Belgium, led by forward Leandro Trossard with 11 international goals, will face Croatia followed by a home match against Tunisia at the King Baudouin Stadium. Sweden has scheduled matches at the Friends Arena in Stockholm, where forward Viktor Gyokeres will face Greece on June 4 before the team travels. Spain is hosting Iraq in La Coruna before moving to Mexico to play Peru in Puebla, with midfielders Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino included in the squad alongside goalkeeper David Raya. The Netherlands, featuring defender Jurrien Timber, will host Algeria in Rotterdam before traveling to New York to face Uzbekistan. France has named defender William Saliba and will play the Ivory Coast in Nantes followed by Northern Ireland in Lille.

Early North American Arrival

England has opted to arrive in North America early, with the team training in Florida under manager Thomas Tuchel. Young forward Ethan Nwaneri has been selected to train with the senior squad, joining established players Eberechi Eze, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, and Noni Madueke. England will face New Zealand in Tampa before taking on Costa Rica in Orlando, just one day before the main tournament begins in Mexico City. Germany, featuring midfielder Kai Havertz, is also positioned in North America for their warm-up fixtures.

Germany's Squad Adjustment

Germany has experienced a significant setback with Bayern Munich's young talent Lennart Karl suffering a serious muscle injury during training and being ruled out of the World Cup. Karl was expected to feature prominently in the midfield alongside Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala. Manager Julian Nagelsmann has named RB Leipzig's Assan Ouédraogo as Karl's replacement—a box-to-box midfielder whose dynamic style has drawn comparisons to prime Paul Pogba despite his recent knee injury recovery. Some observers expected more direct replacements such as Said El Mala from Cologne or Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund.