[Recap] World Cup 2026 Final International Friendlies – All Results: Portugal Beat Nigeria 2-1 (Conceição Scores Winner, Ronaldo Blanked), England Cruise Past Costa Rica 3-0
The last international friendlies before the World Cup 2026 opener, played on June 10 locally. Portugal edged Nigeria 2-1 thanks to Conceição's winning goal, with Ronaldo failing to score. England cruised past Costa Rica 3-0 with goals from Rice, Gordon, and Watkins. Both title contenders head into the tournament on a winning note. A full look at every result, scorer, and key takeaways from all matches.
WC 2026 kicks off tomorrow, 6/12. Just before the tournament, on the night of 6/10 local time (early morning 6/11 Japan time), participating nations played their "final" international friendlies. Portugal defeated Nigeria 2-1, with Francisco Conceição scoring the winner (captain Ronaldo went scoreless). England cruised past Costa Rica 3-0, wrapping up their pre-tournament preparation in ideal fashion under Tuchel. Here's a recap of both matches — results, scorers, positives, and concerns.
info Dates are based on local time (early morning 6/11 JT). This was the last batch of pre-World Cup friendlies. Japan faces the Netherlands in their Group F opener at 05:00 JST on Monday, 6/15.
calendar_month Score Summary (Final Friendlies · Local 6/10)
- Portugal 2-1 Nigeria
- England 3-0 Costa Rica
_(Nigeria and Costa Rica are not participating in WC 2026. Portugal and England are.)_
sports_soccer Portugal 2-1 Nigeria (Conceição scores winner, Ronaldo silenced)
- Venue: Estádio Doutor Magalhães Pessoa (Leiria / Portugal). Kickoff at 04:45 JT on 6/11. Final tune-up before the World Cup.
- Goals: Neto (23'), Conceição (75') (Portugal) / Akor Adams (37', Nigeria)
- Positives: Victory secured by Pedro Neto's opener and Conceição's winner. Substitutes made the difference, showcasing squad depth.
- Concerns: Captain Ronaldo played but failed to score. Adams' individual effort led to a goal conceded in the 37th minute — defensive concentration and the ace striker's scoring instinct will need to be sharper come the tournament.
sports_soccer England 3-0 Costa Rica (Dominant win under Tuchel)
- Venue: Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando / USA). Kickoff at 05:00 JT on 6/11. Delayed by approximately one hour due to a thunderstorm.
- Goals: Rice (9'), Gordon (68', pen.), Watkins (87')
- Positives: Rice's early opener set the tone and England dominated throughout (xG 4.63 vs. 0.03). Gordon's strong form also stood out — an ideal final tune-up ending 3-0.
- Concerns: The opposition was non-qualifier Costa Rica. Despite the comfortable win, England's true quality will be tested against tournament-level opponents.
local_fire_department Summary
In the final batch of pre-World Cup friendlies, Portugal edged Nigeria 2-1 thanks to Conceição's winner (with Ronaldo going scoreless), while England brushed aside Costa Rica 3-0. Both title contenders head into the tournament on the back of victories. With pre-tournament preparations now complete across all major nations, WC 2026 kicks off on 6/12.
Japan face the Netherlands in their Group F opener at 05:00 JST on Monday, 6/15. The latest schedule can be found on the article Calendar, and group assignments for all nations on the article Teams List.
_※ Scores and goalscorers are based on reporting from ESPN, Sky Sports, and respective national football associations. Dates are based on local time. Player photos sourced from Wikimedia Commons._