Tuchel's England cruise past Costa Rica as Saka returns

England signed off their preparations with a 3-0 win over Costa Rica in Orlando. Declan Rice, Anthony Gordon and Ollie Watkins scored, and Bukayo Saka was back in the squad.

England signed off their World Cup preparations in style, brushing aside Costa Rica 3-0 in Orlando after a thunderstorm delayed kick-off by an hour, as ESPN reported.

Declan Rice opened the scoring early, Anthony Gordon added a second from the penalty spot after the break, and Ollie Watkins rounded off the win. The performance was as lopsided as the scoreline: Thomas Tuchel's side ran up an expected-goals figure of 4.63 to Costa Rica's 0.03, the visitors managing a single shot all night.

The big talking point was the return of Bukayo Saka. The Arsenal winger was back days after his club's Champions League final defeat, though Tuchel admitted he must manage the forward's minutes after an Achilles problem dogged the end of his season, as player ratings noted. Saka's one clear sight of goal flashed wide.

For England, the message is control. A settled, confident side heads into the tournament among the favourites, with goals spread across the team and a manager unafraid to rotate.

For neutrals in Kenya tuning in, it is a reminder of the depth at the top of the world game. England will expect to go far in 2026; on this evidence, few would argue.