Thomas Tuchel said England's 3-0 win over Costa Rica felt like the point where the warm-up stopped looking like an overseas pre-season and started looking like tournament football. Kick-off in Orlando was delayed by an hour because of a thunderstorm, then England responded with goals from Declan Rice, Anthony Gordon and substitute Ollie Watkins.

Why Tuchel liked what he saw

"Until now, it was more a feeling of a pre-season, like an overseas pre-season, and it was good like this," Tuchel said. "We set the tone." He also pointed to the energy in the stadium, saying he wanted England to grow into the tournament with "cohesion and brotherhood and team spirit".

That is the part that matters most here. England did not just win a warm-up, they played in a way Tuchel clearly wanted to see before the real pressure starts. The scoreline matters, but the bigger point was the level of intensity and how quickly the squad looked connected after the delay.

The delay also served a purpose

Declan Rice said the weather disruption gave England a useful rehearsal for what can happen at the tournament. "The manager said that is what we are going to face at this tournament," Rice said, adding that stop-start conditions and even thunder and lightning can force players off the pitch.

That may sound like an awkward interruption on the night, but it also gave England a reminder that tournament football rarely arrives on schedule. Tuchel's point was not that one friendly makes the group ready, only that the side now looks like it has moved into the right gear at the right time.

Ivan Toney adds a different angle to the camp. He was on the outside looking in for 12 months after failing to impress Tuchel in training, and his return comes with the clear sense that he is being trusted in a narrower role. Toney said he is likely to be used as a finisher rather than a starter at the World Cup, which is a sensible way to use him if England want goals late in games.

Toney also said he and Tuchel had cleared the air earlier in 2026, and that he now feels in a much better head space. For England, that gives the squad another experienced option. For Tuchel, it gives him a player who seems comfortable with the role he is being asked to play.

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