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Jude Bellingham delivered a decisive all-round performance as England secured qualification to the World Cup knockout stage with a 2-0 victory over Panama on Saturday at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
In a match that had largely drifted toward another underwhelming result following England’s earlier 0-0 draw with Ghana, Bellingham broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute. His goal came at a crucial moment in a rain-soaked contest that had tested England’s rhythm and attacking fluency.
The Real Madrid midfielder then turned provider, delivering a precise cross for Harry Kane, who finished to double England’s advantage and confirm top spot in Group L. The result ensures England avoids a potential early clash with Portugal and instead faces one of the best third-placed teams in the Round of 32 in Atlanta on Wednesday.
England manager Thomas Tuchel acknowledged the difficulty of the encounter, describing Panama as a physically demanding opponent.
“It was what we expected: a tough match against a physical opponent,” Tuchel said. “They are a difficult team to score against and we were the only team to create this amount of chances and score twice.”
Elsewhere in Group L, Croatia defeated Ghana 2-1 in Philadelphia, finishing second in the group. Goals from Petar Sučić and Nikola Vlašić secured Croatia’s place in the last 32, while Ghana ended in third position. The result also eliminated Scotland from contention for one of the best third-placed spots.
With Friday’s results already confirming qualification for England, Croatia, and Ghana, Saturday’s fixtures primarily determined final group standings and knockout pairings. Croatia will now face the second-placed team from Group K.
With 28 teams already through, only four places remain in the Round of 32 as the group stage nears completion.
