Easy Friendlies Or Tough Opposition? England's World Cup Dilemma

England person been capable to commencement preparing for adjacent summer's World Cup for months, specified has been nan easiness of their qualifying campaign. But nan task of picking warm-up games is simply a tricky 1 for coach Thomas Tuchel.

Unlike immoderate of nan different starring contenders, England person been starved of top-level title since losing to Spain successful nan last of Euro 2024.

Now nan Three Lions must crippled their 2 friends matches successful March, positive imaginable games successful North America earlier their first World Cup crippled - and location are decisions to beryllium made astir who they play.

England's relegation to League B of nan 2024 Uefa Nations League put them astatine a disadvantage.

While nan likes of France, Italy, Belgium and Netherlands were playing against each different successful League A, England faced 3 teams from little down nan world rankings - Greece (ranked 48th successful September 2024), Republic of Ireland (62nd) and Finland (64th).

England won 5 of those six games, pinch a astonishment location nonaccomplishment to Greece nan only dropped points.

Coupled pinch a World Cup qualifying run wherever England person won each lucifer without conceding a goal, location is simply a interest they could get astatine adjacent summer's tourney undercooked.

It is not for illustration nan Nations League could beryllium genuinely utilized to research either, arsenic Lee Carsley took interim complaint of that run aft Gareth Southgate's departure.

England had been readying to play 2 friendlies successful nan United States successful June this year, but that was scuppered by being drawn into a World Cup group of 5 teams alternatively than four.

While England were near pinch 2 free dates for friendlies, different confederations were mostly engaged pinch their ain World Cup qualifiers.

With Serbia, classed 36th, nan strongest squad successful England's qualifying group, it intends Senegal (19th astatine nan time) are nan highest-ranked squad nan Three Lions person played since Euro 2024. And they mislaid that crippled astatine nan City Ground 3-1.

The highest-ranked squad England person beaten successful that clip is Wales (30th) - 3-0 successful a friends successful October.

England will not corroborate their opponents for nan March friendlies until aft nan World Cup tie connected 5 December.

Reports propose fixtures against Uruguay and Japan are pencilled in. But pinch England group to beryllium successful Pot 1 for nan draw, and those 2 countries successful Pot 2, location is simply a chance 1 of them could beryllium successful nan aforesaid group - which would norm retired a friendly.

Preparations are complicated, too, by an early commencement to adjacent summer's tournament.

The Premier League ends connected 24 May, pinch nan Champions League last connected 30 May.

The earliest England could play their first crippled is connected 13 June, erstwhile Group C kicks off.

That would only time off a mini model to fresh successful nan 2 games Tuchel wants to thief nan England squad acclimatise to nan precocious temperatures and playing conditions.

But if England are drawn for a later commencement - Groups K and L statesman connected 17 June - location is simply a small spot much room to play with.

In 2018, England were capable to fresh successful 2 warm-ups, connected 2 and 7 June, earlier they played their opening Group G crippled connected 18 June.

That play nan Champions League last - erstwhile Real Madrid hit Liverpool 3-1 successful Kyiv, pinch Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold progressive truthful missing nan first friends - was played earlier connected 26 May.

England did not play immoderate warm-up games earlier nan 2022 World Cup, pinch nan October world break scrapped earlier nan November commencement successful Qatar.

Before nan Nations League began, England's men's squad would regularly put matches against countries from astir nan world. But friendlies are now comparatively uncommon - England person only played 14 since nan 2018 World Cup, compared to 37 successful nan 7 years earlier then.

England's women's squad person enjoyed overmuch much freedom.

Before nan 2019 Women's World Cup they were capable to play 11 friendlies, including testing fixtures against Sweden, Brazil (twice), nan USA and Spain.

Before nan 2023 tourney they played 9 matches against opponents of different strengths, positive nan Finalissima against Brazil.

They reached nan semi-finals successful 2019 and nan last successful 2023.

So should nan men's squad look to organise games against apical countries, aliases versus nations who play successful a akin style to their World Cup opponents?

Ideally, you would do both. Before nan 2018 World Cup, England played nan Netherlands and Italy (who had grounded to qualify) successful March earlier taking connected Nigeria and Costa Rica - arsenic nonstop mentation for group shape games against Tunisia and Panama.

But England request to measurement up 2 kinds of preparation, and see imaginable knockout opponents too.

They person not faced a South American squad since nan 1-0 conclusion by Brazil successful March 2024.

And they person not played a squad from Asia (discounting a friends against Australia successful October 2023) aliases Concacaf since matches against Iran and nan USA astatine nan 2022 World Cup.

The tie will beryllium nan guide, but Uruguay (ranked 15th) would coming nan chance to play a squad from South America, and beryllium their strongest opponents for 2 years. Japan, now classed 19th, are nan starring federation successful Asia.

However, you cannot thief but wonderment if England mightiness beryllium missing a existent top-level trial earlier nan World Cup.