FIFA World Cup 2026 Warm-Up Matches: Full Results, Scores and What They Revealed

Warm-Up Matches: All Results, Scores and Key Takeaways Before the Tournament

Every FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up match result reviewed — from Netherlands’ shock defeat to Algeria to Brazil’s Egyptian test and Messi’s Argentina fine-tuning ahead of North America.

By StrikerReport Staff | June 5, 2026

The Last Dress Rehearsal: Why FIFA World Cup 2026 Warm-Up Matches Matter

With the FIFA World Cup 2026 kicking off on June 11 in Mexico City — the greatest football tournament in history, featuring 48 nations and a record 104 matches across the United States, Canada, and Mexico — every national team has spent the final weeks of May and early June engaged in a crucial set of pre-tournament friendlies. These FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up matches are not mere box-ticking exercises. For managers, they represent the last meaningful opportunity to settle formations, assess squad depth, sharpen fitness levels, and acclimatise players to North American conditions before billions of eyes are watching.

FIFA’s official international window ran from June 1–9, 2026, immediately ahead of the tournament opener, and it produced some genuinely revealing fixtures. From shock defeats to thumping victories, the FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up match results told us a great deal about which nations head into the tournament in form and which coaches still have questions to answer.

Here is StrikerReport’s complete guide to every major FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up match, the results, and what they mean.

Key FIFA World Cup 2026 Warm-Up Match Results: Summary

Below are the most significant confirmed FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up friendly results from the pre-tournament window:

The Biggest Shock: Netherlands Lose to Algeria

The headline result of the entire FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up window came when the Netherlands suffered a stunning 0–1 defeat to Algeria. Going into the tournament among the fancied sides at +2000, Ronald Koeman’s Netherlands will have expected to use their warm-up matches to build confidence before facing Japan and Sweden in Group F. Instead, Algeria — who will be competing in World Cup Group J against Argentina and Austria — handed the Dutch a sobering reminder of the unpredictability of international football.

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The result sparked debate about whether the Netherlands, without their trademark defensive solidity, could be vulnerable in the group stage. However, it is important to note that pre-tournament friendlies regularly produce misleading results, with coaches often using rotated squads, experimenting with formations, and giving minutes to fringe players. Koeman is unlikely to lose sleep over a single warm-up defeat.

Dominant Morocco Sending a Warning Shot

One of the most eye-catching FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up match results came from Morocco, who thrashed Madagascar 4–0 in convincing fashion, following it up with a strong performance against Norway in Harrison, New Jersey. The Atlas Lions — who made history as the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final at Qatar 2022 — arrive at this tournament with serious ambitions.

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Their 4–0 demolition in the warm-up window served notice to their Group C rivals Brazil and Scotland that Morocco have not gone away. The Moroccan attack looks sharp, and Walid Regragui’s side appear well-organised ahead of their tournament opener against Brazil on June 13.

Belgium: A Team With Something to Prove

Belgium’s FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up matches have been particularly illuminating. The Belgians, navigating a significant generational transition with many stars from their famed “golden generation” having retired or being phased out, defeated Croatia 2–0 in their first tune-up and followed that with a fixture against Tunisia. Croatia, who also featured in these warm-up encounters, are rebuilding in a similar fashion, with both sides offering intriguing glimpses into how they may approach the tournament.

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Belgium’s performance in these FIFA World Cup 2026 friendly matches suggests a team growing in confidence, despite the shadow of so many legendary retirements. Group G, where Belgium face Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand, is one they will fancy.

Colombia Hit Form with 3–1 Win Over Costa Rica

Colombia warmed up impressively for their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with a 3–1 victory over Costa Rica in San Diego. The South Americans, who also faced Jordan in their pre-tournament preparations, look sharp ahead of a testing Group K alongside Portugal, Uzbekistan, and DR Congo.

At +3500 to win the tournament, Colombia represent one of the more interesting outsider bets, and their FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up results suggest they have the attacking quality to spring surprises. Their three-goal showing against Costa Rica, backed by another fixture against Jordan, gave coach Néstor Lorenzo plenty of positives to take into the group stage.

Canada Cruise Past Uzbekistan: Host Nation’s Confidence Growing

Canada, one of three host nations alongside the USA and Mexico, recorded a comfortable 2–0 victory over Uzbekistan in their FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up match. The result was exactly what Jessé Marsch’s side needed ahead of their Group B opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12.

The significance of Canada’s pre-World Cup friendly results cannot be overstated. Playing in their home country, the Canadians will carry the weight of a nation’s expectations. The clean sheet and controlled performance against Uzbekistan — a fellow World Cup qualifier making their debut on the grandest stage — offered real encouragement. Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David are expected to be central to Canada’s World Cup ambitions, and both players will be hoping to have shaken off any pre-tournament rustiness.

Argentina: Messi’s Final World Cup Tune-Ups

Defending world champions Argentina have been the subject of enormous attention in their FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up matches, with every Lionel Messi touch scrutinised ahead of what is almost certainly his final World Cup. Argentina trained and played their pre-tournament friendlies on American soil, facing Honduras in College Station, Texas, and Iceland in Auburn, Alabama — giving the squad competitive minutes in North American conditions before moving to their World Cup base in Kansas City.

The choice of American venues for their warm-up friendlies was deliberate: to acclimatise to the heat, humidity, and football culture of the tournament’s host nation. Reports from both fixtures described Argentina as looking measured and tactically controlled, with Messi involved in the Honduras clash. Scaloni used the Iceland and Honduras warm-up fixtures primarily to test his bench options and ensure that the starting XI is battle-ready for their Group J opener against Algeria on June 16.

England’s Pre-Tournament Friendlies: New Zealand and Costa Rica

England faced two FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up opponents — New Zealand in Tampa, Florida, and Costa Rica in Orlando — both broadcast live on ITV in the United Kingdom. For Gareth Southgate’s successor, these fixtures represented the final opportunity to settle on the best formation and starting lineup ahead of England’s Group L campaign, which opens against Croatia on June 17.

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England’s warm-up preparations also included an important mini-camp in Florida, confirming the FA’s strategy of acclimatising the squad to American conditions. The selection of New Zealand and Costa Rica as opponents offered winnable but not trivial challenges — exactly the calibre of opposition most nations seek in pre-tournament friendlies.

France vs Ivory Coast and Northern Ireland: Testing the Favourites

France, among the pre-tournament favourites at +600, used their FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up window for two significant friendlies — against Ivory Coast in Nantes (broadcast on BBC) and Northern Ireland in Lille. The Ivory Coast fixture, in particular, was one of the marquee pre-tournament clashes, pitting a World Cup favourite against a side many believe could cause upsets in North America.

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France’s Group I features Senegal, Iraq, and Norway, and Didier Deschamps will have used both warm-up matches to finalise his settled XI. Kylian Mbappé, France’s talisman, will have been on full display for those watching ahead of what promises to be another deep World Cup run for Les Bleus.

USA vs Germany: The Blockbuster Pre-Tournament Friendly

One of the most anticipated FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up matches saw the United States host Germany in Chicago — a fixture that doubled as a massive commercial event and a genuine tactical examination for both sides. As a co-host nation, the US carries enormous domestic pressure, and head coach Mauricio Pochettino will have used the Germany friendly to see exactly how his squad measures up against elite European opposition.

Germany, at +1100 to win the World Cup, are among the stronger fancied European nations and their warm-up clash against the Americans, in front of a partisan crowd at Soldier Field, was the kind of high-profile friendly that sharpens competitive instincts ahead of the tournament.

Brazil vs Egypt: Samba Boys Test Themselves

Brazil — the most decorated nation in World Cup history with five titles and favourites at +650 for glory — took on Egypt in Cleveland, Ohio, in a well-attended FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up friendly broadcast live on ITV. With a tough Group C awaiting them, including Morocco and Scotland, the Seleção needed to arrive at the tournament in excellent shape.

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Brazil’s match against Egypt was the kind of World Cup warm-up fixture designed to keep star players sharp without overextending them. Vinicius Jr., Rodrygo, and Raphinha are the attacking weapons Brazil will rely upon throughout the tournament, and head coach Dorival Júnior will have assessed their form closely in the Cleveland clash.

Portugal vs Chile and Nigeria: Ronaldo’s Final Hurrah?

Portugal played two warm-up friendlies — against Chile in Leiria, and against Nigeria — as Roberto Martínez prepared his side for Group K, alongside Colombia, Uzbekistan, and DR Congo. The Leiria fixture, broadcast on Amazon Prime, was a chance to see whether Cristiano Ronaldo remains central to Portugal’s plans or is being carefully managed ahead of the tournament.

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Portugal are listed at +1200 to win the World Cup and are considered a genuine dark horse. Their FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up match results offered encouraging signs, though the competitive matches in mid-June will tell the full story.

Spain: The Favourites Tread Carefully with Yamal

Spain, the pre-tournament favourites at +500 and widely regarded as the team to beat, played their warm-up fixture against Iraq in A Coruña — but notably without Lamine Yamal, the Barcelona teenage sensation who has been managing a left hamstring injury. Head coach Luis de la Fuente stated ahead of the Iraq friendly that Yamal could be fit for Spain’s Group H opener against Cape Verde on June 15 if his recovery continues as planned.

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The cautious management of Yamal in Spain’s FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up match underscores just how vital the 17-year-old is to La Roja’s ambitions. With Spain favourites to lift the trophy in New Jersey on July 19, every update on Yamal’s fitness will be tracked obsessively throughout the tournament.

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Scotland and Haiti: The Underdogs Prepare

Among the less-heralded but noteworthy FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up match results, Scotland drew with Bolivia in Harrison, New Jersey (broadcast on BBC), while Haiti demonstrated their quality with an emphatic 4–0 thrashing of New Zealand — a result that should serve as a warning for Group C rivals Brazil and Morocco. Scotland face Brazil, Morocco, and Haiti in Group C, making their warm-up against Bolivia a useful preparation for the physical and tactical challenges ahead.

Morocco vs Norway: A High-Profile Clash in New Jersey

Morocco continued their excellent warm-up form by facing Norway in Harrison, New Jersey — another high-profile pre-tournament friendly broadcast on ITV. Norway, boosted by the extraordinary goal-scoring of Erling Haaland (16 goals in World Cup qualification — the tournament’s top scorer during qualification), will face France, Senegal, and Iraq in Group I. Their warm-up clash against Morocco served as a genuine test against quality African opposition.

What the FIFA World Cup 2026 Warm-Up Results Tell Us

Drawing conclusions from FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up matches should always come with caveats — managers rotate squads, experiment with systems, and prioritise fitness over results. Nevertheless, several clear patterns have emerged from the pre-tournament friendly window:

Teams in strong form heading into the World Cup: Morocco (4–0 Morocco, strong showing vs Norway), Belgium (2–0 vs Croatia), Colombia (3–1 vs Costa Rica), Canada (2–0 vs Uzbekistan), and Haiti (4–0 vs New Zealand) all impressed.

Teams with question marks: The Netherlands (0–1 to Algeria) and Croatia (0–2 to Belgium) head into their group stage campaigns with slightly dented confidence, though pre-tournament defeats rarely translate into tournament failure.

Injury concerns: Spain’s Lamine Yamal remains the major fitness story of the warm-up window, with his availability for the opening game against Cape Verde critical to Spain’s title ambitions.

Messi watch: Argentina’s warm-up fixtures against Honduras and Iceland gave the football world one final extended look at Lionel Messi before what is expected to be his last World Cup — a tournament he lifted in Qatar four years ago.

The Road Ahead: FIFA World Cup 2026 Kicks Off June 11

All the FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up match results ultimately feed into one narrative: 48 nations have done everything they can to prepare, and now the tournament itself will provide the only answers that matter. The World Cup opens on June 11 with Mexico vs South Africa at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, and runs through to the final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 19.

For the full FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule, group stage standings, and live match coverage, stay with StrikerReport — your home for every goal, result, and talking point throughout the tournament.

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