FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - World Cup - UEFA Qualifiers - Group K - England v Andorra - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - September 6, 2025 England manager Thomas Tuchel reacts Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs/File Photo
Dec 10 (Reuters) - England will host Uruguay and Japan in friendly matches at Wembley Stadium next March in preparation for the 2026 World Cup, the Football Association said on Wednesday.
The matches will be the last opportunity for England manager Thomas Tuchel to evaluate his squad before finalising his selection for the tournament in May.
After last week's draw did not pair England with Asian or South American opposition, Tuchel said it might be preferable to find different opponents in March.
But the fixtures have been confirmed with England to face 16th-ranked Uruguay on March 27, followed by a clash with 18th-ranked Japan three days later.
"We are really pleased to have these two fixtures confirmed as our World Cup year takes shape," Tuchel said in a statement.
"We wanted to play two teams ranked in the top 20 in the world, but also to test ourselves against opponents from outside of Europe."
England's most recent meeting with Uruguay was a 2-1 defeat in the group stage at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. England have only met Japan three times, most recently in 2010.
Tuchel's squad is expected to play two additional warm-up matches in the United States in the days leading up to the World Cup which will be hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
England are in Group L of the World Cup, where they will face Croatia, Ghana and Panama in the group stage. Their opening match is set for June 17 against Croatia in Dallas.
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru and Martyn Herman in London;Editing by Christian Radnedge)
