Declan Rice drove in a a fine early goal as England made a lively start against Costa Rica in their final preparation for the World Cup.Kick-off was delayed by an hour until 22:00 BST after torrential rain and lightning in Orlando.England were without Bukayo Saka who is not yet fully fit but Thomas Tuchel had more or less a full-strength side available to him otherwise. Surprisingly, it was the first time that his chosen XI had played together.Once play finally got under way the pitch was surprisingly decent at the Inter&Co Stadium.Jude Bellingham had the first effort of the night, firing wide after good play down the left between Anthony Gordon and Nico OReilly.A physical and intense start was in stark contrast to the training game against New Zealand at the weekend.OReilly and Gordon were impressing and after another sharp attack down the left, the new Barcelona winger beat his man again and found Rice, who drove home with authority.The encounter with the team ranked 53rd in the world is the Three Lions last fixture before their World Cup campaign starts against Croatia on June 17 (21:00 BST) as part of a group also featuring Ghana and Panama. Topics Declan Rice England National Football Team World Cup 2026 Add us as a preferred source on Google If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read England vs Costa Rica live: Kick-off delayed by an hour as teams confirmed for final friendly Tom Rostance 10th June, 2026 World Cup 2026 live: Portugal vs Nigeria friendly confirmed teams and full line ups, TV channel, live online stream and stats Tom Rostance 10th June, 2026 World Cup 2026 opening ceremony time: Shakira, Katy Perry start times and where to watch full show on TV and live online stream with Madonna set for final Ben Miller 10th June, 2026 South Korea v Czechia: 2026 World Cup line-ups, stats and preview Tom Rostance 10th June, 2026 World Cup 2026: How long is Lamine Yamal out? Latest news, injury update and Barcelona and Spain wingers reaction to hamstring problem Ben Miller 10th June, 2026 Mexico v South Africa: Line-ups, stats and previewas World Cup 2026 begins Tom Rostance 10th June, 2026
