England's pre-tournament preparations gathered pace in Orlando this week, and head coach Thomas Tuchel left Inter&Co Stadium — after a weather delay caused by violent storms — with plenty to think about ahead of the side's FIFA World Cup 2026 opener against Croatia in Dallas on 17 June.
A 1-0 win over New Zealand in Tampa had already drawn criticism from Tuchel himself for its lack of intensity. The clash with Costa Rica was a different story entirely — a sharp, physical contest that handed Tuchel a set of welcome selection dilemmas.
Bellingham's number 10 claim
The most debated position in England's squad is the number 10 role, with Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham and Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers both pressing their cases. Tuchel has spent months encouraging competition between the two, yet a definitive choice must now be made.
Rogers has been the first-choice starter — Tuchel standing by the 23-year-old even as Bellingham endured a disrupted season at Real Madrid, hampered by shoulder and hamstring injuries. Against Costa Rica, however, Bellingham looked like a man determined to force his way back into the conversation.
He threaded a superb through ball to Noni Madueke in the first half and showed brilliant footwork in the build-up to England's second goal, weaving past several Costa Rica defenders before finding Eberechi Eze, whose shot drew a handball. Anthony Gordon converted the resulting penalty. On the night's evidence, Bellingham will be difficult to overlook.
The wide positions
Arsenal's Bukayo Saka remains the first choice on the right flank, though Tuchel has managed his workload carefully due to a lingering Achilles tendon injury. Madueke deputised against Costa Rica and produced an uneven display.
The left-sided berth is a more open contest between Gordon and Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford, whose long-term future at Barcelona remains uncertain. Rashford impressed against New Zealand, while Gordon — who had seen limited action at Newcastle United at the end of last season — delivered a strong performance against Costa Rica, troubling defender Shawn Johnson with his speed, setting up Declan Rice's opener and scoring from the penalty spot. Both wingers have legitimate claims.
Kane's deeper role
At 32, Harry Kane remains England's captain and record scorer with 79 goals in 114 appearances — yet he continues to evolve. Tuchel has granted Kane the freedom to drop deep, link play, and create, mirroring the licence he enjoys at Bayern Munich.
Against Costa Rica, Kane was spotted collecting the ball inside his own penalty area as England built from the back, and he later produced a devastating inside-of-the-right-foot pass from deep that eliminated four defenders to release Gordon — though a subsequent penalty was overturned by VAR. Former England striker Chris Sutton has described Kane's reading of the game as
