World Cup 2026 Warm-Up Matches: England vs. Costa Rica and More

As the countdown to the 2026 World Cup intensifies, today’s warm-up matches feature key encounters including England facing Costa Rica, along with Argentina and Portugal in action.

© Iconsport / Cody Grubbs, Sipa USA, SUSA.

The reigning champions, Argentina, will take on Iceland in a friendly at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama. La Seleccion aims for their seventh consecutive win, while Iceland hopes to bounce back from recent defeats.

Prediction: Argentina 3-0 Iceland

Argentina is in formidable form ahead of the match. Even without Lionel Messi, they are expected to secure another victory against an Iceland team struggling with morale after winning just one of their last nine matches.

> Click here to read our full preview for Argentina vs. Iceland, including team news and possible lineups.

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Portugal will finalize their preparations with a friendly against Nigeria on Wednesday night. Coach Roberto Martinez’s squad is gearing up for their tournament opener against the DR Congo on June 17. Nigeria, however, did not qualify for the finals after losing to DR Congo in the CAF playoff final.

Prediction: Portugal 2-1 Nigeria

Portugal seeks a challenging match against a strong Nigerian side. Despite making several substitutions to keep players fresh for the World Cup, Portugal is favored to win this encounter.

> Click here to read our full preview for Portugal vs. Nigeria, including team news and possible lineups.

© Iconsport / Marty Jean-Louis/Alamy.

The final warm-up match for England will see them take on former World Cup opponents Costa Rica in Orlando. After a narrow 1-0 victory over New Zealand, England looks to improve their performance against a Costa Rican team that recently suffered a 3-1 loss to Colombia.

Prediction: England 3-0 Costa Rica

Despite some recent struggles in attack, if manager Thomas Tuchel fields his strongest lineup, England should overcome a low-confidence Costa Rican side that has conceded ten goals in their last three matches.

> Click here to read our full preview for England vs. Costa Rica, including team news and possible lineups.