Tuchel relishing Uruguay and Japan friendlies for England ahead of World Cup

England head coach Thomas Tuchel believes his side will benefit from facing high-ranked opponents in Uruguay and Japan during the March international break.

The Three Lions will face Uruguay on March 27 before hosting Japan four days later, with both friendlies taking place at Wembley Stadium.

Both opponents qualified for the 2026 World Cup next summer, with Uruguay currently 16th in the FIFA men’s rankings, two spots ahead of Japan.

Tuchel was not only happy with the level of the countries they are set to face, but also their location.

“We are really pleased to have these two fixtures confirmed as our World Cup year takes shape,” said Tuchel.

“We wanted to play two teams ranked in the top 20 in the world, but also to test ourselves against opponents from outside of Europe.”

Our #ThreeLions’ March opponents have been confirmed

Thomas Tuchel’s team will play Uruguay and Japan at @wembleystadium.

— England (@England) December 10, 2025

England were drawn into Group L at the 2026 World Cup alongside Croatia, Ghana and Panama, who they also faced in the 2018 group stage.

Their match against Japan will be their final game before Tuchel names his squad for the tournament, but the Three Lions are expected to play two further warm-up games in the United States prior to their opening fixture against Croatia on June 17.