Orlando (Florida) [US], June 11 (ANI): The final round of FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up matches concluded on a positive note for England, Portugal and Algeria, with all three nations securing convincing victories before turning their attention to the biggest tournament in world football.
England overcame adverse weather conditions and a determined Costa Rica side to record a comfortable 3-0 victory in Orlando. Kick-off was delayed by an hour due to storms in Florida, but Thomas Tuchel's men wasted little time in making their mark, according to FIFA.
Declan Rice opened the scoring in the ninth minute after Anthony Gordon burst clear down the flank and delivered a precise cutback. Rice's strike, aided by a slight deflection, gave England early control.
Gordon, one of England's standout performers, doubled the lead midway through the second half from the penalty spot after Costa Rica were penalised for handball while attempting to block an effort from Eberechi Eze.
Ollie Watkins completed the scoring three minutes from time, reacting quickest after goalkeeper Abraham Madriz parried Morgan Rogers' shot into his path.
The victory provided England with valuable momentum ahead of their Group L opener against Croatia and marked only their fourth win in their last 10 friendly internationals.
Portugal also finished their preparations in winning fashion, defeating Nigeria 2-1 in Leiria. Cristiano Ronaldo was heavily involved throughout the first half but was unable to find the net despite several promising opportunities.
The Portuguese side eventually took the lead in the 23rd minute when Pedro Neto controlled a pass from Diogo Dalot before firing accurately into the bottom corner.
Nigeria responded through Akor Adams, who capitalised on defensive uncertainty to level the contest before half-time. However, Portugal regained the advantage in the 75th minute thanks to a moment of brilliance from Francisco Conceicao, whose curling strike proved decisive.
The result extended Roberto Martinez's side's unbeaten run to five matches and reinforced their strong home form heading into the tournament.
Algeria produced the most emphatic result of the day, thrashing Bolivia 4-0 in a behind-closed-doors encounter. Defender Aissa Mandi opened the scoring just before the interval, and a completely revamped Algerian side dominated after the break.
Amine Gouiri struck twice within two minutes before Anis Hadj Moussa added a fourth to seal an impressive victory and boost confidence within Vladimir Petkovic's squad.
With the official warm-up schedule now complete, attention shifts to the group-stage fixtures of FIFA World Cup 2026. The 48-team tournament officially gets underway when co-hosts Mexico face South Africa in the opening match, marking the start of a historic competition hosted jointly by Mexico, the United States and Canada. (ANI)
