England vs Japan Predictions, Picks & Odds

England vs Japan Game Details

Competition: International Friendlies
Date: Tuesday, 31 March 2026
Kick-off Time: 7:45 PM (UK time)
Venue: Wembley Stadium
Live Stream (UK): ITV1

England vs Japan Preview

England return to Wembley on Tuesday for an international friendly against Japan. Thomas Tuchel’s side will look to respond after a flat 1-1 draw with Uruguay. The Three Lions will want a sharper display in front of their home fans. Meanwhile, Japan arrive in London with momentum after edging past Scotland at the weekend.

Tuchel experimented heavily against Uruguay, and the gamble did not really pay off. England saw their six-game winning run come to an end. Their long streak without conceding also finished after Federico Valverde’s late penalty cancelled out Ben White’s opener. Tuchel kept a positive tone afterwards and will see this fixture as another useful step in the build-up to the 2026 World Cup.

Japan will not make things easy. Hajime Moriyasu’s side have been in good shape in recent friendlies and are now on a four-game winning run. That sequence began with an impressive 3-2 victory over Brazil, before further wins over Ghana, Bolivia and most recently Scotland. They have shown resilience, discipline and enough quality in attack to test top teams.

England to score first looks a strong play given how quickly they tend to impose themselves in games. The Three Lions have opened the scoring in each of their last 14 matches, which shows how often they start on the front foot, especially. After a below-par display against Uruguay, Thomas Tuchel is also likely to bring back more of his senior attacking names, and that should give England greater sharpness from the opening whistle at Wembley.

Over 2.5 goals is a value bet as both teams arrive with enough attacking quality to make this an open contest. England have scored in 21 straight matches, while Japan have also been in good form going forward. The Asian giants have produced lively results in recent friendlies, including wins over Brazil and Scotland. As a result, this game has the ingredients for chances at both ends and a strong possibility of three or more goals.

England to win is also a good angle here. Tuchel’s side were far from their best against Uruguay, but that performance came with an experimental lineup and several key players left out. With a stronger XI expected this time, England should have too much depth, control and attacking quality for Japan over 90 minutes. Japan are in good form and should be competitive, but at Wembley, England’s established big-hitters look well placed to return to winning ways.