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England wrapped up its pre-World Cup preparations with a convincing 3-0 demolition of Costa Rica on June 10, 2026, at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida. One day later, the 2026 FIFA World Cup officially kicks off, and Thomas Tuchel’s side looks like a team that got the memo about timing.
Goals from Declan Rice, Anthony Gordon, and Ollie Watkins gave England a clean sheet and a wave of confidence heading into their Group Stage opener against Croatia on June 11.
Two friendlies, two wins, zero goals conceded
The Costa Rica result capped a tidy two-match warmup stretch on US soil. Four days earlier, on June 6, England edged past New Zealand 1-0 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Harry Kane scored the only goal in what was a more workmanlike performance.
Tuchel used the two friendlies to rotate through a 22-player squad, giving meaningful minutes to players competing for starting spots. The most notable storyline from the squad selection was the debut of Rio Ngumoha, who became the 1,300th player to represent England’s men’s national team.
FIFA and Kraken: crypto meets the world’s biggest stage
While England was putting the finishing touches on its tournament prep, FIFA made a move that caught the attention of a very different audience. On June 10, 2026, the governing body announced that Kraken, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges globally, had been named the Official Crypto Exchange Supporter of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Crypto sponsorships in sports have had a bumpy track record. The industry went through a period where exchanges were slapping their names on stadiums and jersey patches at a furious pace, only for some of those partners to implode spectacularly. FTX’s naming rights deal with the Miami Heat’s arena aged about as well as milk in the sun. The fact that FIFA chose Kraken, an exchange that has managed to stay operational and relatively controversy-free through multiple market cycles, suggests the governing body is being at least somewhat selective.
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English (US) ·