Leeds United legend Marcelo Bielsa set for UK return as England confirm World Cup warm-up fixtures
Two Leeds United favourites will be due at Wembley ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Leeds United legend Marcelo Bielsa will be back in the UK next year as his Uruguay side face England in one of two 2026 World Cup warm-up matches in March.
England confirmed via a statement on Wednesday they would host Uruguay and Japan at Wembley on Friday March 27 and Tuesday March 31 respectively. Both friendlies will likely be of interest to Leeds fans, given Bielsa is head coach of the South American nation while recent two-goal midfield hero Ao Tanaka is a Japanese international.
Both Wembley visitors have qualified for next summer’s tournament across the USA, Mexico and Canada, with Bielsa set for his third World Cup in a third separate continent. Tanaka featured for Japan during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and is expected to make the squad for next year’s showpiece.
A statement read: “The Three Lions will start the new year against Uruguay on Friday 27 March (7.45pm) before Japan arrive three days later, on Tuesday 31 March (7.45pm KO). The two games against teams ranked 16th and 18th respectively in the world will have extra intrigue as they will be the last before Thomas Tuchel names his final World Cup squad in May.
“At the FIFA World Cup 26 finals, England will play Croatia, Ghana and Panama in Dallas, Boston and New York/New Jersey respectively with the schedule for the World Cup now revealed. Before the tournament starts, England are also expected to play two warm-up games in the USA, with details yet to be confirmed.”
England head coach Thomas Tuchel added: “We are really pleased to have these two fixtures confirmed as our World Cup year takes shape. We wanted to play two teams ranked in the top 20 in the world, but also to test ourselves against opponents from outside of Europe. After Friday’s draw, the excitement for next year is really building.”
Two Leeds United favourites due at Wembley
UK-based Leeds fans will get a chance to see their iconic former manager go up against one of the tournament favourites in England when Uruguay head to Wembley. The two-time World Cup winners are in a group with Spain, Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde next summer.
Japan are currently 18th in the FIFA world rankings and have been drawn in a World Cup group with the Netherlands, Tunisia and a European play-off winner. Their 2022 tournament in Qatar drew headlines when Tanaka scored the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Spain that earned the Asian nation a spot in the knockouts.
Bielsa is one of three former Leeds managers heading to the World Cup, with another due to face England in competitive action once the tournament gets underway. The Three Lions have been drawn in a group with Panama, who are coached by Thomas Christiansen.
Jesse Marsch will also be at the tournament as manager of co-host nation Canada. Tanaka will be joined by teammate Brenden Aaronson (USA) across the Atlantic Ocean while a host of Welsh internationals have a chance of making it through the play-offs.