England Top Group L: Bellingham and Kane Beat Panama 2-0 as Three Lions Face Congo DR on July 1

[Leopard85]

England did the job they needed to do, beating Panama 2-0 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Saturday night to finish top of Group L. It was not pretty. A slow, frustrating first half saw England repeatedly fail to break down Panama's deep 5-4-1 block, with Thomas Tuchel's men at one point dropping to second in the group when Croatia took the lead against Ghana simultaneously. But the second half was different. Bukayo Saka swung a corner in from the left on 62 minutes and Jude Bellingham, being held by his marker, still managed to wrap his leg around and flick home his second goal of the tournament. Five minutes later Bellingham drifted left, cut inside and whipped a perfect cross to Harry Kane, who escaped his marker and headed into the top left corner to seal it.

Kane's goal made him England's all-time record goalscorer at World Cups with 11 goals, surpassing Gary Lineker's long-standing record of 10. The captain celebrated with his trademark fist-pump and Bellingham engulfed him immediately. England ended the game with 1.49 expected goals to Panama's 0.58, reasonable control but not the dominant display anyone wanted. Panama had a goal disallowed in stoppage time for marginal offside which would have been a horrible way for things to look on the scoresheet.

The crucial consequence of topping the group is the bracket. England face Congo DR in Atlanta on July 1 rather than the Portugal or Colombia matchup that second place would have brought. Congo DR are not a pushover, they came from behind to beat Uzbekistan 3-1 in their final group game and Yoane Wissa has three goals in the tournament. But it is a significantly more manageable route than the alternative. Tuchel vowed England would improve in the knockouts. They will need to.

Panama 0-2 England: Highlights, man of the match, stats as Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane set World Cup 2026 round of 32 date - Sports Molewww.sportsmole.co.uk

[Ann13]

Kane breaking the Lineker record means something to English football. That record has stood since 1986. The fact that it fell to a headed goal from a Bellingham cross rather than a penalty is exactly how you would want a striker to break it

[CantComplain12]

The first half was awful. Panama had more touches in the England box. They forced Pickford into two decent saves. England cannot keep playing these slow, impotent first halves and expect to beat Portugal or France later in the tournament

[Sigma]

Jarell Quansah picking up a yellow card and coming off with an ankle injury is the small print worry. Tuchel will be watching the scan results nervously before the Congo DR game. He is already without Reece James

[Seb5]

Topping the group rather than finishing second is worth an enormous amount in this expanded bracket. Avoiding Portugal and Colombia until the quarter-finals at the earliest is the prize for that second half performance

[QuantumFoam]

Congo DR beating Uzbekistan 3-1 with a comeback after going a goal down is a team that has character and Wissa with three goals is a genuine threat. England cannot treat this as a bye round. They did that mentally against Ghana and nearly paid for it

[MickFoley00]

Bellingham is carrying this England team. Two goals and both assists in two effective performances. Without him this group stage could easily have gone very differently. The question is what happens when opponents work out how to neutralise him