England: Will Uruguay be Thomas Tuchel’s toughest test so far?

England gained all eight of their qualifying video games, scoring 22 targets and conceding none to complete comfortably clear on the high of Group Okay.

However, their group opponents have been Albania, Andorra, Latvia and Serbia – 4 sides ranked outdoors the highest 20 on the earth.

Indeed their toughest test by way of rating final 12 months was a pleasant towards Senegal, who have been nineteenth on the earth on the time. England misplaced 3-1.

It could have been a non-competitive match, however the Three Lions’ efficiency in that recreation was regarding.

“No discernible plan. No identity. No improvement – arguably even a regression – since Sir Gareth Southgate stepped down after defeat by Spain in the Euro 2024 final in Berlin,” wrote BBC Sport’s chief soccer author Phil McNulty after the sport.

“[Tuchel] may offer up mitigating circumstances as he made 10 changes from the World Cup qualifying win against Andorra, plus this was a friendly at the end of a long season. But it was still a sobering, alarming evening as Senegal outclassed England.”

While that end result and efficiency could have been a blip, England wanted to face higher-ranked opponents to test them earlier than heading to the World Cup – and they need to get that towards Uruguay after which Japan, who at the moment occupy nineteenth on the earth rankings.