England, Wales set for Wembley friendly ahead of World Cup qualifiers

England will host Wales in a friendly match at Wembley on October 9, as part of both teams' preparations for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. This encounter will be the first between the two sides since England's 3-0 victory in the 2022 World Cup group stage, and it continues a long-standing rivalry, with England winning nine of their last ten meetings. England's new manager, Thomas Tuchel, emphasized the importance of these matches in providing challenges against diverse opponents, including a friendly against Senegal planned for June 10 at Nottingham Forest's City Ground. Wales, under Craig Bellamy, is entering this friendly with strong form, having achieved promotion to League A in the UEFA Nations League. Both teams are gearing up for their respective World Cup qualifying campaigns, with Wales facing Kazakhstan to kick off theirs on March 22. This friendly serves as a crucial opportunity for both teams to assess their squads ahead of the qualifiers.