Tuchel insists Tampa pitch will not change England's World Cup 2026 squad choices

England manager Thomas Tuchel confirms pitch concerns in Tampa will not alter his starting lineup for the World Cup warm-up against New Zealand.

England coach dismisses pitch concerns England head coach Thomas Tuchel stated that reports regarding the condition of the playing surface for the upcoming friendly against New Zealand will have no bearing on his player selections. The Daily Mail previously described the pitch at Raymond James Stadium—a venue normally used by the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers—as a 'plug and play' surface installed just seven days before the match. Multiple World Cup venues, typically featuring artificial turf, have been relaid with grass for tournament matches. Traveling ground staff from the Football Association were said to be collaborating with stadium officials to address visible irregularities in the pitch. Tuchel emphasized that despite the World Cup’s proximity, the pitch status 'will not affect my team selection' and noted he has 'heard' it 'will be OK'. ## England's warm-up match plan Tuchel outlined his team’s approach for the match, revealing that any issues with the pitch can be addressed on the day. He reiterated the plan to field two complete teams for 45 minutes each to ensure equal playing time and maintain training loads over the following three days. The session will adhere to the original schedule, with Tuchel stressing that the squad is prepared to adapt if necessary. England are currently in Florida as part of their pre-World Cup camp in West Palm Beach ahead of the Saturday fixture against New Zealand at 21:00 BST. ## Squad updates and training session Tuchel’s England training session on Friday included 27 players, excluding Arsenal’s Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, Declan Rice, and Bukayo Saka, who were still involved in the Champions League final on 30 May. To bolster numbers, Premier League players Josh King, Rio Ngumoha, Ethan Nwaneri, Alex Scott, and Jason Steele joined the training camp. Goalkeeper Dean Henderson also participated after Crystal Palace’s Conference League final victory. ## Kane's fitness and role in heat Tuchel described England captain Harry Kane as being in 'top shape' and fully prepared for the challenges ahead, including the intense heat expected in the United States. He highlighted Kane’s leadership during a defensive training session and praised his performance in Bayern Munich’s recent campaign, where he scored three goals in the cup final. Tuchel mentioned that Kane’s striking partners, Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney, remain options, but stressed the importance of managing the captain’s workload. He noted that while ideally Kane would play fewer minutes in the friendlies, tactical decisions may prevent that. ## England's World Cup schedule After the warm-up against New Zealand, England will face Costa Rica on 10 June at the same time, 21:00 BST. The team will then relocate to their tournament base in Kansas City, Missouri, before opening their Group L campaign against Croatia on 17 June in Dallas, Texas. Subsequent matches include a game against Ghana on 23 June in Massachusetts and a fixture against Panama on 27 June at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. ## Opportunities for fringe players Tuchel shared that he has narrowed his starting lineup to '14-15' players for the Croatia match but will use the upcoming friendlies against New Zealand and Costa Rica to finalize his choices. He indicated that fringe players still have a realistic chance of securing a spot in the World Cup opener. Additionally, Tuchel confirmed that squad members will be permitted to finalize transfers if agreed upon, provided it does not disrupt their preparations. The move of Elliot Anderson to Manchester City is expected to be completed pending a deal with Nottingham Forest.