England’s soccer stars will begin a five-match audition on Tuesday night for a place in the World Cup squad. Three Lions manager Thomas Tuchel could secure a spot for next summer with victory in Latvia, with his players vying to secure spots.
Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, as well as players such as Phil Foden and Cole Palmer, are working hard to secure their spots in North America, with less than eight months until the start of the tournament. Remarkably, England only have five games left before Tuchel announces his squad: Latvia, next month’s final qualifier against Serbia and Albania, and two friendlies at Wembley next March.
Tuchel has encouraged strong competition to raise his team’s standards, but the choice to play Wales and Latvia in this camp makes it clear that no one’s place is guaranteed.
The England squad will be announced at the end of the season, with two warm-up friendlies likely to be played after departing for the United States before the tournament begins on June 11.
Those games are expected to be played in Florida, with Tuchel planning to take his players to short training camps in warmer climates to prepare them for the heat and conditions of the US summer.
This means hectic preparations for the World Cup, with players taking part in the Champions League final in Budapest on May 30 almost certain to miss the start at their US training base and have to join up later.
The final weekend of the Premier League is scheduled for May 24th and, unlike in previous years, there will be little time for a long break before the tournament begins.
England’s World Cup opponents will be revealed at the draw in Washington on December 5th. As one of the top seeds, Tuchel’s team will be based in the United States.
While considering a training camp in a warmer climate, the team is also considering other training facilities in the United States for the remainder of the season, including near Kansas City.
A friendly match between Japan and Uruguay is scheduled for next March, but it depends on the matchup.
England will aim to play countries with a similar style to their group opponents and will avoid scheduling matches against teams they will play at the World Cup.
Tuchel and the England squad are likely to forego their traditional end-of-season friendlies at home due to their busy schedules.
Captain Harry Kane missed last Thursday’s friendly against Wales due to injury, but is expected to be fit for Tuesday’s game against Latvia.
