England and Wales are set to reignite their historic rivalry when they meet at Wembley Stadium on Thursday, 9 October 2025, with kick-off scheduled for 19:00 BST. Though officially a friendly, this fixture promises more than just preparation; it’s a matter of pride, with both teams looking to build rhythm ahead of their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaigns.
Softfootball earlier reported that the English team had to train recently without Harry Kane, and under the guidance of Thomas Tuchel, England brings a refreshing blend of youth and experience, while Craig Bellamy’s Wales will aim to prove they can compete with top-tier opposition. This will be their 106th meeting, the last coming at the 2022 World Cup, which ended goalless.
Interestingly, Wales remain unbeaten in their last five trips to Wembley, a record that adds an extra layer of drama to this age-old fixture.
Team News
England return to Wembley for the first time since March, but without Jude Bellingham, who despite regaining fitness for Real Madrid, has been omitted from Tuchel’s squad. The same fate befell Phil Foden and Jack Grealish, though Tuchel insists there’s no problem with any of them. However, he handed a maiden call-up to Manchester City’s youngster, Nico O’Riley, who expressed delight over joining the team. Under his tenure, England boasts a strong record (W5, L1), with every victory coming via a clean sheet. The only blemish? A 3-1 friendly defeat to Senegal.
Wales, meanwhile, miss Dan James (ankle injury) and skipper Aaron Ramsey, ruled out through a minor niggle. Bellamy’s men haven’t been great travellers either, managing just two wins in their last nine away games.
Possible Lineups
England (4-2-3-1): Henderson; Spence, Konsa, Burn, Lewis-Skelly; Rice, Anderson, Rogers; Saka, Watkins, Rashford
Wales (3-4-2-1): Darlow; Williams, Mepham, Rodon, Davies; Ampadu, J. James; Johnson, Wilson, Thomas; Moore
SoftFootball’s Prediction
England are unbeaten in their last seven meetings with Wales, keeping six clean sheets in that time. The Three Lions have also won their last three games at Wembley with a stunning 10-0 aggregate and after training today, manager Thomas Tuchel spoke highly of the team’s quality in a video uploaded on the team’s official X handle, hailing the initial intensity shown by his team even in training.
Watch the video below:
Wales, on the other hand, have failed to score in four of their last five friendlies and tend to struggle against top ten ranked sides. Still, their resilience can’t be ruled out entirely.
Prediction: England 2–0 Wales
Rashford, fresh off scoring against Serbia, looks set to shine again, while Harry Wilson could be Wales’ brightest spark with six goals and two assists in his last nine caps.
