Harry Kane became England’s all-time World Cup goalscorer as Thomas Tuchel’s side overcame well-drilled Panama to progress to the knockout stage as group winners. Having gone from the thrill-a-minute victory against Croatia to a dour draw with Ghana, the back-to-back European Championship finalists overcame a sluggish start to win Saturday’s match at MetLife Stadium.
England were already guaranteed of a place in the knockout phase following Friday’s fixtures and wrapped up top spot in Group L with a 2-0 triumph that sets up a last-32 tie against a third-placed side on Wednesday. Senegal or the Democratic Republic of Congo look set to be the opponents in Atlanta after a day when Jude Bellingham’s breakthrough was swiftly followed a smart header from captain Kane.
The 32-year-old scored a hat-trick when these sides met at this stage in 2018 and moved clear of Gary Lineker as England’s highest scoring player at a World Cup by nodding home his 11th goal. Bigger tests are to follow and vast improvements are required if they are to return to MetLife Stadium for the final on July 19, but Tuchel’s men have successfully cleared the first hurdle.Follow England vs Panama back below, with expert analysis from Standard Sport’s Dom Smith at MetLife Stadium.
England vs Panama latest news
- GOAL! Kane heads home a second for Englanf
- GOAL! Bellingham pokes England ahead
- GOAL! Croatia ahead as England drop to second
FULL-TIME
23:55 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Panama 0-2 England
England finish top of Group L.
Panama 0-2 England
23:53 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
90+4 min: Panama have certainly given it their all in search of a goal but it doesn’t look like it will be there day. Eze then has a shot deflected just wide.
Panama 0-2 England
23:51 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
90+3 min: Into SIX minutes of added time.
Panama 0-2 England
23:50 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
90+1 min: Madueke is denied at one end before Panama have a goal ruled out for offside against Jose Fajardo.
Arthur Ferridge at Philadelphia Stadium
23:49 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Bad to worse for Ghana as Antoine Semenyo is down injured and limps off, seemingly holding his left knee.
Panama 0-2 England
23:47 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
87 min: What a cross that is from Madueke but Rashford can’t apply the finishing touch. That should have been a goal as Panama make a double change.
Dom Smith at New York/New Jersey Stadium
23:45 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
England not looking to wind the clock down here. They are keen for a third goal, one which they don't, of course, need. Panama have really tired.
Arthur Ferridge at Philadelphia Stadium
23:44 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
What a stop! Asare gets a firm hand to a stinging shot from Pasalic to keep Ghana in touch.
Heartbreak for Ghana! Seconds after a heroic save from Asare, Vlasic heads home from the resultant corner to restore Croatia's lead.
Panama 0-2 England
23:43 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
84 min: Double England change as Kane and Anderson make way for Watkins and Henderson.
Panama 0-2 England
23:42 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
83 min: England are just seeing the game out but Eze’s pass to Rogers is halted by Andrade who is booked for the foul.
GOAL!
23:40 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Ghana are indeed level!
I haven't seen VAR check an offside for that long since its early days in the Premier League, but after all that, Luckassen marks his first start at this World Cup with a goal.
Arthur Ferridge at Philadelphia Stadium
23:38 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Ghana could be level here. Luckassen has it in the back of the net but has been flagged offside. After a lengthy VAR check, the referee is sent to the monitor.
Unclear what he's looking at.
Panama 0-2 England
23:35 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
75 min: A big warning for England after not clearing their lines and Ismael Diaz smashes an effort wide and he then puts a shot over the bar.
Panama 0-2 England
23:31 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
72 min: Eze has replaced Bellingham following the second half hydration break.
Arthur Ferridge at Philadelphia Stadium
23:30 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
The witch doctor who cursed Harry Kane last week is back at it again here.
Just spotted him in the second row of the Ghana end, throwing some kind of white powder around. He's had an impressive record so far at this tournament.
Let's see if he can keep the run alive here.
Dom Smith at New York/New Jersey Stadium
23:28 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Here they come, England's likely lads. Kane is on the scoresheet as well now and because Panama have tired, all is well. An extremely rare pass between Bellingham and Kane. It produces a goal. Bellingham, by the way, has been outstanding today
GOAL! Panama 0-2 England | Harry Kane ‘68
23:27 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
68 min: ENGLAND DOUBLE THEIR LEAD!
Jude Bellingham involved again as he clips a cross into the box and Harry Kane is there to head home.
Panama 0-1 England
23:25 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
67 min: That Jude Bellingham goal means England are back on top of Group L.
Arthur Ferridge at Philadelphia Stadium
23:25 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Not the slightest hint of a reaction from the Croatian or Ghanaian fans in Philadelphia as the news of Jude Bellingham's opener is shared on the big screen.
Panama 0-1 England
23:25 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
65 min: England are on the up now and sense a second goal. Rashford finds Kane in space, he takes a touch before shooting but sees his effort charged down.
Dom Smith at New York/New Jersey Stadium
23:24 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
A big goal from a big player at a big moment for England. Jude Bellingham's eighth England goal.
Five have been in major tournaments. Fair ruddy play.
Panama 0-1 England
23:22 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
63 min: Two England changes following the goal as Madueke and Spence replace Saka and Quansah.
GOAL! Panama 0-1 England | Jude Bellingham ‘62
23:21 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
62 min: ENGLAND LEAD!
Jude Bellingham with another big goal for England. It’s from a set-piece as the midfielder sticks out a leg and pokes the ball into the bottom corner.
Arthur Ferridge at Philadelphia Stadium
23:20 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
The momentum has completely shifted at half-time here in Philadelphia. Ghana are enjoying so much more possession and Fatawu is looking so, so dangerous.
They will need to capitalise on their pressure sooner rather than later, though.
Lest we forget this Ghana side has still only scored once at this World Cup.
Dom Smith at New York/New Jersey Stadium
23:19 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Madueke is ready to come on for England shortly.
Panama 0-0 England
23:19 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
60 min: Has the England right-back curse struck again? Quansah is down and requires some attention from the medical staff. This is the last thing Tuchel needs after losing Reece James.
Dom Smith at New York/New Jersey Stadium
23:17 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
And again they can't take it! Kane, this time. Fans looking a little nervous now.
Panama 0-0 England
23:17 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
58 min: Kane denied by Mosquera before the attack comes to an end as Rashford is penalised for a push at the back post.
Panama 0-0 England
23:16 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Disappointing that Rashford dragged his shot there. And a reminder straight after, from Panama, about how important it is that England take one of their chances in this half!
Panama 0-0 England
23:16 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
56 min: England lose possession, J.Rodriguez pounces and curls an effort just over the bar. Panama are asking questions here.
Panama 0-0 England
23:14 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
55 min: Lovely driving run from Rashford but he shoots into the side-netting. Could he have passed to Kane? It was a tight angle.
Panama 0-0 England
23:12 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
53 min: How has that stayed out? Rashford with a superb cross which falls to the feet of Kane, six yards out, but the Panama defence somehow ensure the ball goes over the bar.
In any case, a foul was spotted by Kane.
Fajardo goes into the book, just minutes after coming on.
Arthur Ferridge at Philadelphia Stadium
23:10 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Abdul Fatawu has been introduced at half-time and already flashed a shot just over Dominik Livakovic's crossbar.
Panama 0-0 England
23:09 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
50 min: Oh that is so poor from Rashford. Released by Kane with acres of space to run into but he runs straight into Cordoba who just stood his ground.
Panama 0-0 England
23:08 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
48 min: Panama have a player down as C.Martinez is still feeling the impact of a coming together with O’Reilly near the sideline.
Panama 0-0 England
23:07 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
47 min: Nasty collision with J.Cordoba and Bellingham leaves the England midfielder in a heap, but he is back up on his feet without needing any treatment.
Panama 0-0 England
23:05 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
46 min: For England’s over Croatia - which feels like a lifetime ago - there was a considerable improvement from the side after the break. Will there be a similar pattern?
KICK-OFF!
23:04 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Back underway in New York.
Arthur Ferridge at Philadelphia Stadium
22:53 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Croatia take their one-goal lead into the break, but they'll be disappointed with such a fragile advantage.
They've had the chances to have scored three or four, but Sucic's long-range strike is the only difference.
Ghana, meanwhile, have only really had the one shooting chance, which Semenyo put wide.
Their attacking threat, or general lack thereof, can be summed up best by the fact that centre-forward Ayew has enjoyed just six touches of the ball in the opening 45 minutes.Yeah, you read that right. Six.
Dom Smith at New York/New Jersey Stadium
22:52 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Well it's a disappointing scoreline to be heading into the break with, but I'd argue they've been better than they were against Ghana.
Plenty of nice, zippy interchanges. Just not many clearcut chances.
By this stage when these two teams played in the group stages of the 2018 World Cup, England were already 5-0 up.
Panama 0-0 England
22:51 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
As things stand, England are second in Group L.
They must score in the second half.
HALF-TIME
22:49 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Panama 0-0 England
Panama 0-0 England
22:48 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
45+2 min: Kane manages to win England a free-kick and here is a great chance to break the deadlock before the break. Rashford and Saka standing over this, angle surely suits the former.
Rashford strikes it and he’s not that far away.
Panama 0-0 England
22:46 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
45 min: Into THREE minutes of stoppage time at the end of the first half.
Panama 0-0 England
22:44 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
43 min: Saka with a corner for England but it headed away in the middle and then Rashford gets far too much on his cross which sails out of play.
Arthur Ferridge at Philadelphia Stadium
22:42 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Nearly an equaliser from Semenyo!
Adjetey finds him in space with an incisive ball between the lines, but the Manchester City man shoots wide of the far post.
Dom Smith at New York/New Jersey Stadium
22:39 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Was Saka held back there on his approach to the box? It looked like England might have had a penalty there.
Panama 0-0 England
22:39 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
37 min: Better from England as Rashford heads over at the back post, you feel a goal is coming.
Panama 0-0 England
22:36 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
35 min: Anderson lines one up from outside the box but shoots straight at Mosquera.
At the other end, Quansah comes across to snuff out a sign of danger down Panama’s right-hand side.
GOAL!
22:34 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Croatia have the opener, and it is Sucic from some distance. His show is rifled into the bottom-left corner from about 35 yards out, and Asare just does not react in time.
Poor from the Ghana keeper, but Croatia won't mind! 1-0 in Philadelphia.
Arthur Ferridge at Philadelphia Stadium
22:33 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Another very good chance for Croatia, and again it is the product of a Modric free-kick. He whips in a tidy cross but Perisic's header is saved by Asare.
Panama 0-0 England
22:32 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
31 min: Saka floats in a cross but it’s too high for Kane in the middle and a deflection takes it away from O’Reilly at the back post.
Panama 0-0 England
22:30 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
30 min: Three attempts at goal for Panama, England have had five.
Panama 0-0 England
22:29 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
29 min: Half chance for England but Saka can’t take the ball in and it deflects off him for a goal-kick,
Panama 0-0 England
22:28 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
27 min: Pickford called into action again to push C.Martinez’s effort away for a corner which is flicked away by Konsa. Panama desperate for a goal, having not scored yet at this tournament.
Panama 0-0 England
22:25 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Very loud boos from England fans as the music drearily begins and the hydration break starts.
Perhaps tellingly, no loudspeaker announcement of the start of the "POWERADE HYDRATION BREAK".
England fans too cynical for that. The boos would have been even louder, guaranteed.
Panama 0-0 England
22:24 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
23 min: Boos ring out around the stadium, you know what that means; hydration break.
Panama 0-0 England
22:23 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
22 min: Bellingham attempts a lob from distance but that is never testing Mosquera. England do keep the pressure on as Rogers squares the ball to Saka inside the box but the Arsenal winger’s shot is blocked.
Panama 0-0 England
22:21 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
21 min: Big punch from Pickford to clear a cross before Rogers nearly gets on the end of a lofted through pass.
Dom Smith at New York/New Jersey Stadium
22:21 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
England have had so many corners in this tournament already that it is a little bit surprising they have only scored from one, when Rice assisted Kane against Croatia.
Not having Rice on the pitch makes sense today, given he had strapping round his left calf after Ghana and is on a booking.
But losing his corner-taking ability is a big loss.
Arthur Ferridge at Philadelphia Stadium
22:19 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Almost an opener for Croatia! Budimir breaks and finds Kovacic in acres of space, but he can't work a shooting angle.
He instead squares for Vlasic, whose low-driven shot from the edge of the area is off the post!
Panama 0-0 England
22:19 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
18 min: Shouts of handball are rejected from the referee, O’Reilly was appealing for a penalty but nothing given.
Panama 0-0 England
22:17 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
16 min: England are leaving plenty of space and Panama are showing signs that they can hit them on the counter-attack.
Panama 0-0 England
22:16 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
14 min: Frustration beginning to creep in for England as a decision goes against Saka and he then tries to sneak one in at the near post but Mosquera is equal to it.
Panama 0-0 England
22:12 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
11 min: Chance for Panama to test this England defence from a free-kick but the delivery is poor and the Three Lions clear their lines rather comfortably.
Dom Smith at New York/New Jersey Stadium
22:08 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Good effort from Rashford, following a passage of play that shows England are moving the ball quickly.
Panama 0-0 England
22:08 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
7 min: Rashford tracks back well to win the ball back for England after it was conceded rather cheaply in midfield.
He then cuts in and tests O.Mosquera with a decent shot.
Panama 0-0 England
22:06 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
5 min: Nice lofted pass from Rashford into the path of Bellingham but the England midfielder is crowded out, but the Three Lions to have a corner which is dealt with by the Panama defence.
Panama 0-0 England
22:04 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
4 min: First involvement for Saka sees him bumped off the ball. Will be interesting to see how many minutes the England winger gets tonight. He nearly plays in Kane but the pass is cleared.
Panama 0-0 England
22:02 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
1 min: T. Rodriguez tests Pickford early on with a stinging shot. Good sign of intention from Panama.
KICK-OFF!
22:01 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Away we go!
As things stand
21:58 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
England final position in the table is flexible. They can finish first, second or third.
As long as they match Ghana's result against Croatia, top spot will be secured.
Panama, meanwhile, are guaranteed to finish bottom even if they pull off a shock win.
Not long now
21:56 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
The national anthems have been observed, as have the pre-match pleasantries between both sets of players and officials.
Kick-off is next.
HERE WE GO!
21:51 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
The teams are out at the New York New Jersey Stadium.
The national anthems are next.
Dom Smith at New York/New Jersey Stadium
21:50 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
I can definitely see why Tuchel has rung the changes somewhat for this third group game. Injury to Reece James is a pertinent reminder of the need to manage players' loads and monitor minutes.
Rashford, Saka and Rogers should provide England with the zip they will need to beat a stubborn opponent today.
Kick-off approaching in New York
21:45 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
15 minutes to go until kick-off at the New York New Jersey Stadium.
Around the grounds
21:40 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
The other game in this group, Croatia vs Ghana, gets underway at the same time as this.
We will keep you posted from events at the Philadelphia Stadium as it could have an impact on England hopes of topping the group.
Every confirmed World Cup last-32 fixture
21:35 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
The World Cup group games are drawing to a close as the knockout stages draw near.
World champions Argentina, spearheaded by Lionel Messi, and five-time winners Brazil have booked their spot, along with all three co-hosts USA, Mexico and Canada.
France and Norway have joined, before England look to get the job done against Panama in their third group game.
Scotland face a very tall order to advance after back-to-back losses to Morocco and Brazil.
Team news reminder
21:30 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Here is how both teams will line-up today.
England XI: Pickford; Quansah, Konsa, Guehi, O'Reilly; Anderson, Bellingham, Rogers; Saka, Kane, Rashford.
Substitutes: Henderson, Trafford, Stones, Chalobah, Burn, Spence, Rice, Henderson, Mainoo, Eze, Gordon, Watkins, Madueke, Toney.
Panama XI: O.Mosquera; J.Cordoba, F. Escobar, C.Harvey, A.Andrade, A.Murillo, Gutierrez; C.Martinez, J.Rodriguez, Y.Barcenas; T. Rodriguez
Substitutes: Mejia, Samudio, Blackman, Farina, Ramos, Davis, Miller, Carrasquilla, Diaz, Quintero, Godoy, Yanis, Fajardo, Waterman, Londono
Arthur Ferridge at Philadelphia Stadium
21:25 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
For those readers on shirt watch, I can see represented from my seat in the press box Barcelona, USA, Mexico, Arsenal, Max Verstappen and the Minnesota Vikings.
I even spy out the corner of my eye what appears to be a Daniel Sturridge Liverpool top. Fair play.
Dom Smith at New York/New Jersey Stadium
21:20 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Now England and Panama have joined them.
Dom Smith at New York/New Jersey Stadium
21:15 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
The team are out to warm up. Not met with any cheers, because I'm talking about the refereeing team.
Croatia vs Ghana team news
21:10 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Croatia XI: Livakovic; Stanisic, Sutalo, Pongracic, Perisic; Modric, Kovacic; VLasic, Sucic, Baturina, Budimir
Ghana XI: Asare; Mensah, Luckassen, Adjetey, Senaya; Sibo, Partey, Owusu; Semenyo, Ayew, Sulemana
Arthur Ferridge at Philadelphia Stadium
21:05 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Hello from Philadelphia, where, in contrast to MetLife Stadium, it is absolutely throwing it down.
The rain here is unrelenting - I just took a brief walk through an uncovered concourse and I am wet through, having forgotten to pack my trusty poncho.
Fans seem generally unperturbed, though, and are making their way into the ground slowly but surely.
Panama team in full
21:00 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Panama XI: O. Mosquera; J.Cordoba, F. Escobar, C.Harvey, A.Andrade, A.Murillo, Gutierrez; C.Martinez, J.Rodriguez, Y.Barcenas; T. Rodriguez
Substitutes: Mejia, Samudio, Blackman, Farina, Ramos, Davis, Miller, Carrasquilla, Diaz, Quintero, Godoy, Yanis, Fajardo, Waterman, Londono
CONFIRMED PANAMA TEAM NEWS
20:55 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Lining up for Panama...
¡📋 XI TITULAR 🇵🇦!
— FEPAFUT (@fepafut) June 27, 2026
De esta manera sale #PanamáMayor🇵🇦 disputar su último partido de la @FIFAworldcup 🏆 ante la Selección de Inglaterra 🏴. ¡Con todo 👊🏽!
Panamá🇵🇦🆚🏴Inglaterra
🕖 4:00 pm
🏟️ Estadio NY/NJ
📺 @tigosportspa @deportes_rpc @tvmaxdeportes#MareaQueLate pic.twitter.com/tzWR8nweOo
England team in full
20:50 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
England XI: Pickford; Quansah, Konsa, Guehi, O'Reilly; Anderson, Bellingham, Rogers; Saka, Kane, Rashford.
Substitutes: Henderson, Trafford, Stones, Chalobah, Burn, Spence, Rice, Henderson, Mainoo, Eze, Gordon, Watkins, Madueke, Toney.
CONFIRMED ENGLAND TEAM NEWS
20:45 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Here is the England team selected by Thomas Tuchel to face Panama...
Ready to take on Panama ❤️🔥 pic.twitter.com/wDrBUClrnx
— England (@England) June 27, 2026
Panama vs England LIVE - team news imminent
20:40 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
The teams will be announced shortly!
Stay tuned...
Dom Smith at New York/New Jersey Stadium
20:35 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Hello from the New York/New Jersey Stadium in New Jersey, where very heavy rain has finally subsided and so fans inside the ground have ditched their anoraks for now.
Plenty of England and Panama fans making their way in. But I've also spotted a Colombia shirt and two Germany tops.
Class World Cup.
Who will England play in World Cup round of 32?
20:30 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
As things stand, England are most likely to face Senegal, with DR Congo, also a likely opponent.
Algeria is the outside contender.
Should Tuchel’s side drop a place and finish as runners-up in Group L, their reward will be a last-32 showdown against the runners-up from Group K, which is currently predicted to be Colombia. But, yes, again, Portugal are firmly an option in this scenario.
In the unlikely scenario that England qualify as one of the best third-placed teams, they will face the winners of Group K, which will also be Colombia or Portugal.
Panama squad and predicted XI
20:25 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Goalkeepers: Orlando Mosquera, Luis Mejia, Cesar Samudio
Defenders: Cesar Blackman, Jorge Gutierrez, Amir Murillo, Fidel Escobar, Andres Andrade, Edgardo Farina, Jose Cordoba, Eric Davis, Jiovany Ramos, Roderick Miller
Midfielders: Anibal Godoy, Adalberto Carrasquilla, Carlos Harvey, Cristian Martinez, Jose Luis Rodriguez, Cesar Yanis, Yoel Barcenas, Alberto Quintero, Azarias Londono
Forwards: Ismael Diaz, Cecilio Waterman, Jose Fajardo, Tomas Rodriguez
Panama predicted XI: O. Mosquera; C.Blackman, J.Cordoba, J.Ramos, A.Andrade, A.Murillo; J.Rodriguez, Y.Barcenas, C.Harvey, C. Martinez; C.Waterman
Predicted England XI
20:20 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Thomas Tuchel will be forced into a change at right-back for England’s meeting with Panama after Reece James was ruled out.
James picked up a hamstring injury during the 0-0 draw with Ghana, that forced him to miss training on both Thursday and Friday. He has not travelled with the squad and is considered a doubt for England’s last-32 match.
The Chelsea captain has a history of injury and a hamstring issue has now disrupted his World Cup.
Djed Spence, Jarell Quansah and Ezri Konsa are the likeliest candidates to stand in for James against Panama.
England predicted XI: Pickford; Konsa, Guehi, Stones, O’Reilly; Anderson, Rice; Saka, Bellingham, Rashford; Kane.
The lessons England must learn ahead of Panama decider
20:15 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
In the midst of a tight four-day turnaround that offers precious little time for re-tuning, England are left in bittersweet symphony, desperate to hit the right note in their final group game on Saturday.
Like the rest of the country, Thomas Tuchel was positively purring after his team sang Oasis with fans after swatting aside Croatia, and he offered a history lesson to us all by quoting the late Austrian conductor Herbert von Karajan in explaining that the key to directing an orchestra is “don’t disturb the music”.
In return, history taught Tuchel a lesson of its own. Tuesday’s 0-0 draw with Ghana in Foxborough, Massachusetts, marked the fourth consecutive tournament in which England have followed victory in their opening game with a stodgy draw in their second. The 1982 World Cup remains the only tournament where they have won all three group games. “Tradition”, Tuchel wryly quipped.
He and England seem largely tranquil about the loss of momentum. That is the right approach to take.
England face 'more serious' Panama threat
20:10 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
The steps England took in the subsequent three tournaments - and the new ground they are seeking to break this summer - owe much to their spirited run to the World Cup semi-finals in Russia in 2018.
This was the starting point for Gareth Southgate’s England. A young squad proved to themselves that they did not have to be restrained by the failures of England teams past, and it was the foundation from which journeys to the final of back-to-back European Championships was built.
What it also did was help the nation fall back in love with its team following years of chronic disappointment and disillusionment.
England face Panama this evening hoping to wrap up top spot in Group L, and for many Three Lions fans that will conjure up vivid memories of their first and only previous meeting.
Today's settings
20:05 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
The New York/New Jersey Stadium (the MetLife Stadium), has hosted four World Cup 2026 games so far, including a 1-1 draw between Brazil and Morocco.
With a capacity of over 82,000, this stadium will stage next month's final.
Cole Palmer reveals England 'hope' after World Cup snub
20:00 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Cole Palmer insists he is not dwelling on his exclusion from England’s World Cup squad, saying he hopes to see them ‘go all the way’ as he rests up ahead of the upcoming Premier League season.
Despite enduring a substandard, injury-plagued campaign, Palmer was a controversial omission from Thomas Tuchel’s travelling squad, with the likes of Morgan Rogers, Noni Madueke and Jude Bellingham preferred.
Fresh fuel was thrown on the debate after England’s dour goalless draw with Ghana this week, with various pundits opining that he could have been the man to unlock the stubborn Black Stars defence.
But as the debate rages, Palmer himself is characteristically unbothered by Tuchel’s call, saying he hopes to see his team-mates win the tournament for the first time since 1966.
Panama players clash
19:50 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Panama’s preparations for their World Cup clash with England on Saturday were overshadowed by a training ground confrontation between two players.
Panama are already eliminated from the tournament after losing their first two games.
They close their Group L campaign against Thomas Tuchel’s side but their pre-match training session saw Cecilio Waterman and Jose Luis Rodriguez clash.
Waterman was filmed pushing Rodriguez in the chest and he was then held back by team-mates as he looked to continue the argument.
The confrontation quickly passed and the open training session continued.
Watch: England squad touch down in New York
19:40 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Footage of the England squad touching down in New York ahead of tonight’s World Cup clash.
Our #ThreeLions have landed in New Jersey 📍 pic.twitter.com/pKbtSWPIFK
— England (@England) June 26, 2026
Qualification
19:30 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
England have qualified for the World Cup knockouts before kicking a ball. That should take the pressure off a little bit.
Into the Round of 32 👊
— England (@England) June 27, 2026
Saturday morning's results mean the #ThreeLions are guaranteed a place in the @FIFAWorldCup knockout stage.
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