"Rice" roars two reasons why England is ready to tackle the 2026 World Cup after a warm-up win against Costa Rica.
On 11 June 2026, Declan Rice, England's key midfielder, spoke after their final friendly before the 2026 World Cup, where they comfortably defeated Costa Rica 3-0. Rice scored one goal, alongside teammates Anthony Gordon and Ollie Watkins.
17 June 2026: England vs. Croatia.
23 June 2026: England vs. Ghana.
27 June 2026: Panama vs. England.
Declan Rice commented on England's win over Costa Rica: "I think we did very well. The manager, Thomas Tuchel, emphasized before the game that we needed to increase our intensity in ball play and pressuring the opponent. I think everyone performed excellently, even the substitutes. The second half was outstanding. It was a great final game before everything begins."
Regarding England's readiness before their opening 2026 World Cup match against Croatia, Rice said, "I believe we've adapted. You can see that the heat is no longer an issue. I think the first week to ten days was about getting used to the heat."
"Playing with Anthony Gordon and Niko O'Riley, we've been communicating all week about how to play, rotate, and maintain fluidity. You saw that in the first half. You can see that we are now building confidence and fitness. Before the first game, we'll have more training time. We will keep improving, and it's really great."