Pre-World Cup friendlies in the United States, final tune-ups for the 48 participating nations, continue to be announced. This week saw an announcement everyone was waiting for: defending Champions Argentina announced two more Pre-World Cup clashes<\/a>. On June 6th, they head to College Station, Texas, to play at Kyle Field against Honduras, a side with a significant diaspora fanbase in the United States. Argentina then travels to play Iceland on June 9th at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama\u2014a rare opportunity for Alabama to host international football rather than the American football it\u2019s better known for. That’s two of the iconic stadiums in the SEC hosting Argentina.<\/p>\n The Road to 26 has become the marquee friendly series ahead of the World Cup; already Brazil, Colombia, Croatia, and France have featured in March.<\/a> The series announced four more games for the June window. Bolivia, who narrowly missed<\/a> the World Cup, will play the qualified Scotland in Harrison, New Jersey, on June 6th. On that same day, Brazil takes on Egypt in Cleveland, while Argentina plays that aforementioned match against Honduras.<\/p>\n Based on the March matchups, all four games, including both Argentina matches, should be on the ESPN family of networks in the United States, while Fox and NBC Telemundo\/Peacock hold the official US rights to the World Cup tournament.<\/p>\n Argentina under Lionel Scaloni continues to try to strike a balance between the experienced championship-winning veterans like Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul, and new players like Nico Paz that need to be integrated if this team is going to repeat. Argentina’s title defense officially begins on June 16th against Algeria in Kansas City. While Iceland\u2019s national team has frankly struggled, for Honduras, this tour is the closest thing their fans will get to the World Cup after the Central American nation had a historic failure<\/a> in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying in 2025.<\/p>\n England will be enjoying Florida\u2019s sunshine this June as they have scheduled a New Zealand<\/a> matchup in Tampa at Raymond James Stadium on June 6th, and they\u2019ll play a struggling Costa Rica side in Orlando at Inter&Co Stadium on June 10th. That final game takes place just one week before England’s tournament opener against Croatia in Group L.<\/p>\n While Argentina has been criticized for playing weaker sides <\/a>in preparation for the World Cup\u2014in part so the federation can profit from the national team\u2014England really can\u2019t be blamed for the quality of games they scheduled under manager Thomas Tuchel. They played Senegal in June 2025, losing 3-1. After a perfect qualifying campaign<\/a> led by Bayern Munich\u2019s Harry Kane. They also played Uruguay and Japan in March, two top-25 sides<\/a> in the world, though they went winless. Under the circumstances, playing a tournament-qualified New Zealand and at least a former CONCACAF powerhouse in Costa Rica is respectable as they prepare for a group that includes Ghana and Panama.<\/p>\n FIFA World Cup ticket prices continue to soar to absurd levels<\/a> given the types of seating available; this is the most expensive World Cup ever, and many supporters feel they are being taken advantage of by the international game\u2019s governing body. These international friendlies are not organized by FIFA and are often using some of the largest stadiums in the United States\u2014stadiums that, at a lower price point, are still likely be filled to see players like Messi, Kane, and Raphinha.<\/p>\n Kyle Field is the same venue that saw Mexico and Brazil sell 85,249 seats in June of 2024 before a Copa America that, at times, had empty seats at CONMEBOL\u2019s high price point<\/a>. For Argentina vs. Honduras, the 102,000-seat “Home of the 12th Man” provides another massive stage to prove the US market’s depth. The Argentina vs Iceland matchup get in price is currently set at $45<\/a>.<\/p>\nEngland Sets New Zealand and Costa Rica Matchups<\/h2>\n
Despite High Ticket Prices, Demand for International Football in U.S. Remains High<\/h2>\n