England opened World Cup preparations with a 1-0 friendly victory over New Zealand at Raymond James Stadium, secured by a Harry Kane header. The Bayern Munich forward struck on 45 minutes, separating the teams in intense Tampa heat. The result gave Thomas Tuchel’s side a positive start, despite uneven attacking quality across the 90 minutes.
England generated an expected goals figure of 1.49 from 23 attempts, yet finished with only a single goal. Earlier in the first half, John Stones missed a clear headed chance when unmarked, while Marcus Rashford saw a close-range effort blocked. Kane then forced Max Crocombe into a strong save, tipping another header over the bar.
The breakthrough arrived just before half-time as Djed Spence delivered from
the right and Kane glanced in. The decisive touch from the captain finally beat Crocombe in the New Zealand goal. England capitalised on sustained pressure, having controlled territory for most of the opening period without finding precise finishes until that moment.
Whipped in by @DjedSpence Headed in by @HKane The #ThreeLions' first goal of the summer pic.twitter.com/b5EBVgH20GEngland (@England) June 6, 2026
Tuchel changed all 11 outfield players at half-time, using 22 players overall for England. It was the first time England used that many players in one match since June 2004, when Iceland were beaten 6-1 in a Euro 2004 warm-up. Early in the second half, substitute Dan Burn headed against the left post and went close to doubling the lead.
The match underlined Kane’s influence on England’s attack. The 32-year-old has now scored 11 goals in the last 11 internationals. New Zealand became the 35th different national side Kane has scored against for England, seven more than Wayne Rooney, who struck against 28. Tuchel removed Kane at the interval to manage minutes during preparations.
Without Kane, England struggled to create clear chances. The team produced nine second-half attempts but hit the target once, when Anthony Gordon’s effort went straight at Crocombe. Tuchel also trialled a front pairing of Kane and Ollie Watkins from the start for England for the first time, but the combination offered limited fluency before the break.
There was late concern for New Zealand when Ivan Toney went down under pressure from Matthew Garbett inside the penalty area. Referee Natalie Simon initially awarded a penalty, yet quickly cancelled the decision as the assistant raised an offside flag. England then saw out the remaining minutes, closing World Cup preparations on the night with a narrow 1-0 success.
The main match figures from England’s World Cup preparations friendly against New Zealand are shown below.
| Team | Goals | Shots | Shots on target | xG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 1 | 23 | 3 | 1.49 |
| New Zealand | 0 | - | - | - |
England’s win over New Zealand offered Tuchel useful information before the next friendly against Costa Rica on Wednesday. The match showcased strong squad rotation, with 22 players used, but also highlighted reliance on Kane for cutting edge. The narrow scoreline reflected both dominance in territory and wastefulness in the final third during World Cup preparations.
