England's World Cup Warm-up Faces Backlash Over Empty Seats

WHO:

Daily Mail Sports - England's men's national team, referred to as the Three Lions, is led by Harry Kane.

Newsweek - England's men's national team.

WHAT:

Daily Mail Sports - The World Cup warm-up match against New Zealand is expected to have 50,000 empty seats.

Newsweek - The England team has high expectations for the World Cup.

WHERE:

Daily Mail Sports - The friendly match will take place in Tampa, Florida.

WHY:

Daily Mail Sports - Fans have branded the match a 'farce' due to ticket 'price gouging'.

HOW:

Daily Mail Sports - The match is described as being met with huge sections of the stadium being entirely empty.

(UPDATED June 6, 2026 11:21 UTC)

England's men's national soccer team, known as the Three Lions and led by Harry Kane, is gearing up for a World Cup warm-up match against New Zealand in Tampa, Florida. However, the match is expected to see around 50,000 empty seats, as fans have criticized the event as a 'farce' due to ticket price gouging. With high expectations for the World Cup, the England team faces the challenge of playing in front of huge sections of an empty stadium.