Watch England in Florida!

Get set for a major World Cup bonus if you are in Florida in early June. England’s football hopefuls will be playing not one but TWO warm-up games in the Sunshine State, and they are tailor-made for all our villa guests to enjoy.

That’s right, the Three Lions have chosen to complete their World Cup preparations in both Tampa and Orlando, playing their final matches – which are jointly being called The Florida Series – before the full-on competition of WC2026 gets under way in the US, Canada and Mexico on June 11.

And it marks just the latest step in high-profile international soccer in Central Florida, following Orlando playing host to two of the Road to World Cup 2026 warm-up matches involving Brazil, Croatia and Colombia in March. The City Beautiful has made a strong pitch to host internationals in recent years, and this latest pair of games is very possibly the crown jewel, especially for UK visitors.

What are the games?

England will arrive in the US in early June, to be based in the Kansas City area, but manager Thomas Tuchel is looking for some heat acclimatisation work in Florida before their first group game, against Croatia in Dallas on June 17. The first warm-up game will be against fellow qualifiers New Zealand at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium – home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers – on June 6, with a 4pm kick-off time. The good news for our villa guests is that the Tampa venue is only 62 miles from the ChampionsGate area, or around a one-hour drive straight down I-4.

If that is the first of the two games, it is the second one that has Orlando truly energised. On June 10, Orlando City’s intense 25,500-seat Inter&Co Stadium will play host to England vs Costa Rica, who surprisingly didn’t qualify for this World Cup but should still prove a good test for England’s group game against Panama, who are also from the Concacaf qualifying region. Kick-off will also be at 4pm, making it another test of playing in Central Florida’s humid summer months, which should stand them in good stead for World Cup games at similar times in each of Dallas, Boston and New York, all of which can be hot and steamy in June and July.

An Orlando first

The match will mark a first ever appearance for England in Orlando, and only their fifth overall on U.S. soil. And it definitely has the locals excited. The two Road to World Cup 2026 games in March drew big crowds in excess of 45,000, both played at the huge Camping World Stadium (capacity 65,000 seats), and the Costa Rica game is sure to be a sell-out in the more intimate confines of Orlando City’s ground. According to the official press release about the game, “It provides fans an opportunity to see one of international football’s most storied national teams compete in Central Florida ahead of the world’s biggest sporting event.”

And Jarrod Dillon, president of business operations for Orlando City, insisted: “We are thrilled to bring the England men’s national team to Orlando as part of their World Cup preparations. Inter&Co Stadium offers an electric atmosphere and world class facilities, making it the ideal stage for an international matchup of this caliber. This fixture reflects Orlando’s role as a destination for global football and we’re excited to provide our community with a rare opportunity to see England compete live.”

How to get tickets

England and Costa Rica have only faced each other twice in their history. The teams first met in the group stage of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, playing to a 0-0 draw. Four years later, England hosted the Concacaf side in a pre tournament friendly ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, earning a 2–0 victory at Leeds United’s Elland Road ground.

The two games represent England’s first outings in the US since 2005 and their first ever in Florida, underscoring the significance of the matches as the excitement mounts for this summer’s World Cup, and its extensive three-host-country set-up. Drawn in Group L, England will face Croatia, Ghana and Panama during the group stage of the tournament. Additional details regarding matchday operations for the two warm-up games, plus broadcast information and ticket sales will be announced in the coming weeks.

Fans can register to receive information about World Cup ticket availability. You can register NOW for exclusive pre-sale access to tickets, with pre-sale tickets going on sale on Tuesday, April 14 at 10am local time, 3pm in the UK. General sale tickets will be available from April 16, again from 3pm UK time.

So, that is the BIG news from Orlando this week. Are you excited about the prospect of a full England game here? Give us your thoughts on our social media.