England will play Uruguay and Japan in March ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup

England will play two friendlies against Uruguay and Japan at Wembley Stadium in March as part of their preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The country will play against Uruguay on March 27 and Japan on March 31. England are also expected to play two warm-up matches in the US before the tournament begins.

Thomas Tuchel’s men have been drawn into Group L along with Croatia, Ghana and Panama. They reached the tournament with a perfect record in qualifying and have not conceded a single goal in eight qualifying matches.

«We are very pleased to have these two matches confirmed as our World Cup year takes shape. We wanted to play against two teams ranked in the top 20 in the world, but also to test ourselves against opponents from outside Europe. After Friday’s draw, the excitement for next year really increases,» Tuchel said in a statement on the FA website.

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England’s most recent meeting with Uruguay came during the 2014 World Cup in Sao Paolo, with Luis Suarez’s support proving enough to guide the South American side to a 2-1 victory.

The team last faced Japan in 2010, with the English capitalizing on two own goals to win 2-1 in Graz, Austria, ahead of the World Cup in South Africa.

Published on December 10, 2025