Harry Kane’s 67th objective in membership and worldwide matches because the begin of final season gave England victory over New Zealand in a world pleasant at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium.
Captain Kane reached 79 objectives for England and moved 26 away from Wayne Rooney as his nation’s all-time scorer with a deft flicked header from Djed Spence’s left-wing supply throughout added time of an uneventful first half.
Dan Burn headed in opposition to a publish shortly after half-time, having been launched as certainly one of 11 England substitutes on the interval.
Liverpool winger Rio Ngumoha additionally got here on on the age of 17, changing into the youngest Three Lions debutant since Jude Bellingham, who was 155 days youthful on his bow in November 2020.
England vs New Zealand evaluation: Tuchel ‘sees greater image’
Issues over the standard of the pitch awaiting England appeared to show unfounded on the NFL stadium, the place New Zealand put up extra resistance than their standing because the Seventy fifth-ranked staff on this planet might need urged.
Millwall goalkeeper Max Crocombe turned an early Kane drive from distance early on, whereas Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wooden had a quiet sport.
Former England left-back Stephen Warnock urged head coach Thomas Tuchel “doesn’t care concerning the scoreline” in opposition to opponents who misplaced 4-0 to Haiti in a pleasant on Wednesday.
‘The pitch was not nice, and it made it arduous to play the way in which we wished to play’ 🏟️🗣️
Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham spoke to ITV’s @gabrielclarke05 after England beat New Zealand 1-0 💪🏻 pic.twitter.com/z2YyTVJqDY
— ITV Soccer (@itvfootball) June 6, 2026
“It’s not the efficiency that many would have wished,” Warnock advised BBC Radio 5 Dwell. “What he needs to see is that this England staff is bettering and understanding what he’s asking it to do.
“He received’t care concerning the tempo of it, like everyone else – he’ll simply suppose ‘so long as I put together my staff and we win that first sport and get out of the group’.
“That’s all he’s bothered about. He sees the larger image.”
Harry Kane: England objective vs New Zealand ‘appeared simple’
Former Republic of Eire captain Roy Keane praised Kane. “He’s within the type of his life, in nice form and he makes it look actually, very easy,” Keane advised ITV Soccer of the objective.
“There’s a lot of tempo on the ball and he’s a high striker entering into the proper place, simply needing to information it into the nook. What number of occasions have we mentioned it about Kane? He’s the person.
“It’s been a superb exercise for England – they’ve had a few assessments, needed to do a little bit of operating and there’s a bit of little bit of sharpness to come back. It’s been a extremely good exercise for them.”
World Cup 2026: England, New Zealand schedules
England face Costa Rica subsequent in a pleasant in Orlando on Wednesday (21:00 BST). Right here’s how the primary fixtures on the finals search for Tuchel’s staff and New Zealand.
| Workforce | Date | Opponents | BST Kick-off | ET | PT |
| New Zealand | June 15 | Iran | 02:00 (June 16) | 21:00 | 18:00 |
| England | June 17 | Croatia | 21:00 | 16:00 | 13:00 |
England staff vs New Zealand
England made seven adjustments from their 1-0 dwelling pleasant defeat to Japan on March 31, with Jordan Pickford, Marc Guehi, Kobbie Mainoo and Morgan Rogers conserving their locations.
John Stones, Jarell Quansah, Djed Spence, Jordan Henderson, Marcus Rashford, Ollie Watkins and Harry Kane got here in.
Centre-back Stones missed a lot of his ultimate season at Manchester Metropolis with points, together with a calf harm that saved the 32-year-old out till mid-April.
Midfielder Declan Rice and forwards Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke have been rested after participating in Arsenal’s Champions League ultimate defeat to Paris Saint-Germain the earlier Saturday.
Proper-back Ben White was recalled by England in March and began in opposition to Japan however will miss the finals with a critical knee harm.
Coaching squad members Alex Scott, Ngumoha, Josh King, Jason Steele and Ethan Nwaneri usually are not eligible to play on the World Cup however had been hoping to make their England debuts.
England beginning XI: Jordan Pickford, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Jarell Quansah, Djed Spence, Jordan Henderson, Kobbie Mainoo, Morgan Rogers, Marcus Rashford, Ollie Watkins, Harry Kane
England substitutes: Dean Henderson, James Trafford, Ezri Konsa, Nico O’Reilly, Dan Burn, Tino Livramento, Elliot Anderson, Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon, Ivan Toney, Reece James, Alex Scott, Josh King, Ethan Nwaneri, Rio Ngumoha
World Cup 2026 warm-up: New Zealand full line up vs England
Alex Paulsen, Tyler Bindon, Alex Rufer and Jesse Randall moved to the bench for New Zealand, who introduced in Crocombe, Joe Bell, Michael Boxall and Matthew Garbett.
Document 45-goal scorer Wooden began once more, having returned from a extreme knee harm for Nottingham Forest in April and performed for 60 minutes in opposition to Haiti.
Influential right-back Tim Payne missed two months of the season with a damaged collarbone and has had two minor hamstring points since then.
Sarpreet Singh suffered a major knee harm in February however has been deemed match sufficient to affix the squad, enjoying the primary half in opposition to Haiti and beginning right here.
New Zealand beginning XI: Max Crocombe, Tim Payne, Finn Surman, Michael Boxall, Liberato Cacace, Elijah Simply, Joe Bell, Sarpreet Singh, Marko Stamenic, Matthew Garbett, Chris Wooden
New Zealand substitutes: Alex Paulsen, Francis de Vries, Tyler Bindon, Alex Rufer, Nando Pijnaker, Kosta Barbarouses, Ben Waine, Ben Outdated, Callum McCowatt, Jesse Randall, Michael Woud, Callan Elliot, Lachlan Bayliss, Tommy Smith
England vs New Zealand stats
- England had been liable to going winless of their opening three fixtures of a calendar 12 months for the primary time since 2004 (D2 L1)
- They’ve received every of their final 38 video games in opposition to nations ranked eighty fifth or decrease within the rankings since a 1-0 loss in Northern Eire in September 2005
- This was England’s first sport within the US since friendlies in opposition to Ecuador and Honduras in June 2014 earlier than the World Cup in Brazil, drawing each fixtures at Miami’s Solar Life Stadium
- The Three Lions’ solely earlier conferences with New Zealand got here in the identical week again in June 1991, successful 1-0 in Auckland and 2-0 in Wellington
- Kane has 11 objectives throughout his final 11 appearances for England and 10 in 10 appearances in opposition to non-European nations
- This defeat was New Zealand’s ninth of their final 11 video games in all competitions (W1 D1)
- The All Whites had 14 pictures to 13 in opposition to Haiti, although they posted an anticipated objectives complete of 1.0 to their opponents’ 2.4
- Chris Wooden scored 9 objectives for New Zealand in 2026 World Cup qualification, which is 5 greater than some other participant within the OFC confederation
- Forest’s 2024/25 main marksman scored extra objectives together with his head (6) than some other participant managed in the course of the confederation marketing campaign total
- New Zealand are winless in every of their final 17 matches in opposition to European opposition (D4 L13), since a 1-0 pleasant victory over Serbia in Klagenfurt in Might 2010
