England’s preparations for this summer’s World Cup ramp up with a pair of Wembley friendly dates against Uruguay and Japan.
First up on Friday night are Uruguay, a team who inflicted some painful memories on Roy Hodgson’s England in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The 2-1 loss to the Luis Suarez-inspired South Americans helped send England home with a match of the group phase still to go.
Those with longer memories will recall England playing out a 0-0 draw with Uruguay at Wembley in the 1966 World Cup although that tournament worked out rather better for the Three Lions.
England boss Thomas Tuchel is using these matches – the Japan game is on Tuesday – to give his players a final chance to impress before deciding who makes the plane.
For the finals in North America, England have been drawn in Group L alongside Croatia, Ghana and Panama.
Uruguay face Spain, Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde in Group H.
How to watch England v Uruguay
England v Uruguay kicks off at 19.45 GMT on Friday, March 27 at Wembley.
The game will be shown live on ITV1, with coverage starting from 7pm.
BBC Radio 5 Live and TalkSPORT will both provide full match commentary.
England team news
When there’s controversy about players being left out of a bloated 35-man squad, you know just how many options Tuchel has to choose from.
With the Japan game in mind and to manage minutes, England’s players are being spread across the two matches so for this Uruguay fixture we won’t see Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Morgan Rogers, Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Anthony Gordon, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, Nico O’Reilly, Dan Burn or Dean Henderson.
But it hardly leaves England short, with a strong attacking unit likely to feature Cole Palmer, Marcus Rashford and Noni Madueke.
John Stones and Harry Maguire – mainstays in so many big tournaments – could be reunited to give the Three Lions’ central defence a retro feel.
England expected line-up
(4-2-3-1) Pickford; Livramento, Maguire, Stones, Hall; Mainoo, Wharton; Palmer, Madueke, Rashford; Solanke.
Uruguay team news
There is no Suarez anymore to taunt England so the focus of attack is likely to be former Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez.
Fede Valverde, whose hat-trick for Real Madrid played a huge part in dumping Manchester City out of the Champions League, will be a key man for the visitors.
Other familiar names set to start include Manchester United’s Manuel Ugarte and Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo.
Uruguay, like England, are likely to set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Uruguay expected line-up
(4-2-3-1) Muslera; Valera, R Araujo, Gimenez, Vina; Valverde, Ugarte; Sanabria, De Arrascaeta, M Araujo; Nunez.
England v Uruguay stats
– England have just a 27% win ratio against Uruguay (P11 W3), only having lower against Brazil (15%, P27 W4) and Romania (25%, P12 W3) among nations they’ve faced 10+ times.
– Two of the four previous games between England and Uruguay at Wembley have ended 0-0, with those goalless games at the 1966 World Cup and in a 1995 friendly.
– England have won two of their last 11 matches against South American nations (D5 L4), beating Brazil in February 2013 and Peru in May 2014. They’re winless in five since that Peru win (D3 L2).
– England have kept a clean sheet in 11 of their last 12 matches, including the last six in a row since a 3-1 defeat to Senegal in June 2025. Another clean sheet in this game will equal the Three Lions’ record for consecutive clean sheets in June/July 2021, a run of seven.
– Uruguay lost their last match, suffering a 5-1 defeat to the USA. They haven’t lost consecutive games since losing four in a row in October/November 2021 in their final four games under Oscar Tabárez.
– England have won their first match of the calendar year in 11 of the last 13 years (L2), though one of their defeats in this 13-year run was against a South American side at Wembley, losing 1-0 to Brazil in 2024.
– Uruguay’s Marcelo Bielsa will manage his third game against England – he drew 0-0 at Wembley in February 2000 and lost 1-0 at the 2002 World Cup as Argentina boss.
England v Uruguay predictions
Uruguay’s 5-1 thumping at the hands of the USA in their last friendly suggests England should win this comfortably.
But just three days earlier, Uruguay had played out a 0-0 draw away to Mexico and I’m inclined to think that will be nearer the correct scoreline at Wembley.
England just don’t concede under Tuchel – they’ve kept 11 clean sheets in 12 matches – while Uruguay have stopped the opposition from scoring in six of their last nine outings.
Both teams may struggle to find cohesive attacking patterns having not played since November so going Unders on the goals definitely makes appeal.
Under 2.5 is a play at 4/5 while Under 1.5 at 23/10 is worthy of consideration too, especially as England are without Kane, their most reliable goalscorer by a country mile.
England winning 1-0 at 5/1 should also be on the radar while Tuchel likes a 2-0 it seems. That scoreline has landed in three of the Three Lions’ last six internationals and is 6/1 here.
