“Embarrassment threatens”
World Cup test: Tuchel’s team plays in front of 50,000 empty seats
May 28, 2026 – 1:14 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
The English national soccer players are probably starting their World Cup preparations without a real tournament atmosphere. Ticket sales are slow.
The “Three Lions” can expect a ghostly backdrop in the first test match for the World Cup (June 11 to July 19) against New Zealand. Just 13,000 of the more than 69,000 seats in the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa (US state of Florida) have been sold so far for the game on June 6th, writes the British newspaper “Daily Mail”. For the English team around German national coach Thomas Tuchel, it would be a very quiet test start – and it might not get any better.
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The second international match on June 10th is not yet a crowd-pleaser either. The Inter&Co stadium in Orlando (also in Florida) against Costa Rica could be at least half full. According to information, 12,000 of 25,000 tickets have already been sold here. The daily newspaper “The Sun” already says: “Spurned. England is threatened with embarrassment. There are still 50,000 tickets unsold for the first game of the “Three Lions” in the USA.”
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Storm season scares viewers
Those responsible at the English Football Association FA are hoping for a late rush. Local football fans are put off by the high ticket prices, according to the local press. The late announcement of the venues and the approaching storm season in the “Sunshine State” are also blamed for the lack of spectators. It’s hot anyway: Both games start at 4 p.m. – at a time when temperatures in Florida in June can be oppressively hot.
The English national team has to play in Group L at the World Cup against Croatia, Ghana and Panama.
