England’s national football team secured a narrow 1-0 victory over New Zealand in a friendly match, thanks to a decisive goal from Harry Kane.
Harry Kane found the net to become the lone difference-maker as England earned a minimal win over New Zealand.
The international friendly between England and New Zealand was held at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday (7 June 2026) in the early hours local time.
England entered the match with an unconvincing record after failing to win in their previous two friendlies.
They were held to a 1-1 draw by Uruguay and suffered a surprising 0-1 defeat against Japan.
Meanwhile, New Zealand came into the game following a heavy 0-4 loss to Haiti in their last warm-up fixture.
This encounter ultimately belonged to Thomas Tuchel’s side.
England clinched a narrow 1-0 win over New Zealand, with the only goal coming from Harry Kane.
Thomas Tuchel fielded several key players for this friendly, including Harry Kane, Jordan Pickford, Marcus Rashford, and Kobbie Mainoo.
England’s first opportunity arrived in the 17th minute through a close-range effort by Kane.
Despite dominating possession and maintaining constant pressure, the Three Lions struggled to break through during the opening 20 minutes.
New Zealand’s compact defensive setup made it difficult for England to create clear chances.
On the other hand, New Zealand nearly took the lead in the 27th minute when Matthew Garbett broke into the penalty area.
However, his attempt was denied by Pickford.
Five minutes later, England responded with another chance through Kane, but his effort was again blocked by Max Crocombe.
By the 43rd minute, England had already registered 13 shots, yet none found the back of the net.
Finally, during first-half injury time, Kane broke the deadlock, converting a low cross from Djed Spence.
The Bayern Munich striker’s header deceived Crocombe, giving England a 1-0 lead.
Kane’s goal ensured the Three Lions went into halftime with a one-goal advantage over New Zealand.
In the second half, England continued to dominate proceedings.
However, Tuchel’s men still found it difficult to dismantle New Zealand’s disciplined defense.
Despite controlling the tempo and pressing high, England couldn’t add to their tally.
As a result, the match ended with England securing a 1-0 victory.
England 1-0 New Zealand (Harry Kane 45+2')
Here are the line-ups for both teams in the friendly:
England (4-2-3-1): 1-Jordan Pickford; 26-Jarell Quansah, 5-John Stones, 6-Marc Guehi, 25-Djed Spence; 14-Jordan Henderson, 16-Kobbie Mainoo; 17-Morgan Rogers, 19-Ollie Watkins, 11-Marcus Rashford; 9-Harry Kane
Coach: Thomas Tuchel
New Zealand (4-2-3-1): 1-Max Crocombe; 2-Tim Payne, 16-Finn Surman, 5-Michael Boxall, 13-Liberato Cacace; 6-Joe Bell, 8-Marko Stamenic; 7-Matthew Garbett, 10-Sarpreet Singh, 11-Elijah Just; 9-Chris Wood
Coach: Darren Bazeley
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