England confirm March friendly opponents | OneFootball

England will face Uruguay and Japan in a pair of March friendlies at Wembley as preparations for next summer’s World Cup begin to take shape.

The FA confirmed that Thomas Tuchel’s side will host Uruguay on 27 March before returning to Wembley three days later to meet Japan. Both fixtures will kick off at 19:45 GMT and are expected to provide the last significant chance for players to impress before Tuchel finalises his World Cup squad.

The matches offer England two different tests against opponents ranked inside FIFA’s top 20, with Uruguay’s physical approach and Japan’s high-tempo style viewed as ideal preparation for what the team may face in the group stage.

Talks remain ongoing over June warm-up matches in the United States, where England will be based in Miami. The FA is seeking strong opposition willing to travel and able to offer contrasting styles, while ensuring they will not meet England early in the World Cup.

Tuchel welcomed the confirmation of the March fixtures, saying the team wanted “top-level opposition” as they build towards the tournament. He added that the squad and staff were already feeling the excitement following last week’s World Cup draw, and looked forward to seeing Wembley full again.

GFN | Finn Entwistle