England continues its preparations for the 2026 World Cup when it welcomes Uruguay to Wembley Stadium for a friendly on Friday night.
The Three Lions have soared under Thomas Tuchel since his appointment at the beginning of 2025, winning nine of the German’s 10 matches at the helm. They will head to North America as one of the tournament favorites, aiming to end the agonizing 60-year wait to be crowned world champions.
Fine-tuning his selection and system before the tournament is crucial for Tuchel and Uruguay will prove a stern test for England. Marcelo Bielsa’s men finished fourth in CONMEBOL qualifying and boast an impressive squad containing the likes of Ronald Araujo, Federico Valverde and Darwin Núñez.
The two nations, who are both playing their first matches of the calendar year, haven’t traded blows since the 2014 World Cup, Luis Suárez’s double on that occasion ensuring an early group stage exit for the Three Lions.
England vs. Uruguay Score Prediction
England to Scrape Narrow Victory
England blitzed all in its path during qualifying, but never matched with opposition as fierce as Uruguay. The South Americans beat the likes of Brazil, Colombia and reigning world champions Argentina during their qualification campaign, even if recent form has been much patchier.
England has home advantage and the superior squad heading into Friday’s showdown, Tuchel’s side expected to have too much power for their visitors. However, bar the hefty defeat to the USMNT in November, Uruguay has become renowned for its stable defensive performances, perhaps turning the upcoming duel with a similarly resilient England into a battle of attrition.
- Defenses to prosper: England has been in fine defensive form under Tuchel, conceding just three times during his reign—all of those goals allowed in last June’s friendly with Senegal. Uruguay has also kept plenty of clean sheets in recent times, shutting out its opponents in five of the last seven games.
- Form favors England: The Three Lions have been in a purple patch of form since Tuchel’s arrival, but things have been tougher for Uruguay lately. La Celeste have won just four of their last 11 matches, both competitive and friendly, and the 5–1 defeat against the United States last time out will have Bielsa concerned.
Prediction: England 1–0 Uruguay
England Predicted Lineup vs. Uruguay
Tuchel has confirmed that 11 players will sit out Friday’s friendly despite being called up to his enormous 35-man squad, instead getting involved only for the Japan friendly next Tuesday. The German coach cited their enormous workloads this season as the reason behind his decision.
Captain Harry Kane is among those to miss the Uruguay game, as will Dean Henderson, Dan Burn, Marc Guéhi, Ezri Konsa, Nico O’Reilly, Eliott Anderson, Declan Rice, Morgan Rogers, Anthony Gordon, and Bukayo Saka.
Eberechi Eze and Jarell Quansah have been forced to withdraw from the squad due to injury, being replaced by Harvey Barnes and Ben White respectively.
An unfamiliar and much-changed lineup appears set to feature against Uruguay, offering valuable opportunities to the likes of Adam Wharton, Kobbie Mainoo, Lewis Hall and Dominic Solanke.
England predicted lineup vs. Uruguay (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Livramento, Stones, Maguire, Hall; Wharton, Mainoo; Madueke, Palmer, Rashford; Solanke.
Uruguay Predicted Lineup vs. England
There are several notable absentees in the Uruguay squad, the injured Rodrigo Bentancur a major miss for Bielsa. Galatasaray’s Lucas Torreira is also not included, while Nahitan Nández misses out after contracting coronavirus.
Núñez is involved for Uruguay on a return to England, despite the fact that he has been omitted from Al Hilal’s Saudi Pro League squad—meaning he’s played just three times since the start of February.
Valverde is hoping to take his incredible Real Madrid form into the international break, while a solid central defensive partnership of Ronald Araujo and José María Giménez will aim to keep England’s impressive forward line at bay.
What Time Does England vs. Uruguay Kick Off?
- Location: London, England
- Stadium: Wembley Stadium
- Date: Friday, March 27
- Kick-off Time: 7:45 p.m. GMT / 3:45 p.m. ET / 12:45 p.m. PT
- Referee: Sven Jablonski (GER)
- VAR: Sören Storks (GER)
How to Watch England vs. Uruguay on TV, Live Stream
| Country | TV Channel/Live Stream |
|---|---|
| United States | Fox Sports 1, fuboTV, Foxsports.com, ViX, FOX Sports App, FOX One |
| United Kingdom | ITV 1, ITVX, STV Scotland, STV Player |
| Canada | DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada |
| Mexico | N/A |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as England vs. Uruguay—International Friendly: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.
