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

England secured apical spot successful Group L at World Cup 2026 with a 2-0 triumph implicit Panama astatine MetLife Stadium connected Saturday, mounting their circular of 32 day successful the process.

Thomas Tuchel's broadside struggled erstwhile again to interruption down a stubborn defence, and recovered themselves incapable to make a large accidental successful the archetypal half.

Marcus Rashford had took shots from the borderline of the container that were dealt with by Los Canaleros goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera, and a escaped footwear from the 28-year-old landed wide of the station conscionable earlier the interval.

Panama had moments of their ain to threaten, astir notably a two-on-one aboriginal successful the clash, but they fumbled the shot and the accidental dissipated.

However, Jude Bellingham yet recovered a breakthrough from a country astir the hr mark, earlier Harry Kane became England's all-time apical World Cup goalscorer with 11 strikes erstwhile the Real Madrid midfielder dug retired a transverse from the left.

SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT

Tuchel made 5 changes to his England broadside that drew 0-0 with Ghana, but the show successful the archetypal fractional was hardly immoderate better.

Alongside showing a deficiency of creativity, the Three Lions were defensively susceptible astatine times - thing that volition beryllium a large interest arsenic the squad progresses to look stronger sides successful the knockout stages.

To marque matters worse, the Three Lions look to person a right-back 'curse', and saw Jarell Quansah forced disconnected with an ankle wounded partway done the 2nd half.

All that being said, England's prima players, Bellingham and Kane, combined erstwhile again to marque the quality for the European giants, and the spot of their concern volition beryllium captious to the team's ambitions.

As for Thomas Christiansesn's Panama, they whitethorn beryllium heading location but their performances astatine the World Cup were stronger than their zero-point full would suggest.

On different day, Los Canaleros could person recovered themselves connected the scoresheet, and they came highly adjacent successful stoppage clip lone for Jose Pajardo's extremity to beryllium ruled retired for a marginal offside.  

PANAMA VS. ENGLAND HIGHLIGHTS

60th min: Jarell Quansah (England) injury

Quansah receives a yellowish paper for a mediocre situation connected Jose Luis Rodriguez, but arsenic the duo enactment down successful the aftermath, it seems that the England antheral came disconnected the worse of the two.

Djed Spence is substituted connected for Quansah, and the Three Lions volition hold to find retired the grade of the Bayer Leverkusen star's ankle injury.

Jude Bellingham extremity vs. Panama (62nd min, Panama 0-1 England)

Bukayo Saka swings a country successful from the left, and though it seems to dip earlier than ideal, Bellingham wraps his limb astir the defender and gets a changeable distant to unfastened the scoring.

Harry Kane extremity vs. Panama (67th min, Panama 0-2 England)

Bellingham picks up the shot connected the near earlier cutting inside, past chopping backmost onto his near erstwhile again and picking retired Kane successful the mediate of the box.

The Bayern Munich striker escapes from his marker and heads location a sealer into the top-left corner. 

MAN OF THE MATCH - JUDE BELLINGHAM

England were acold from their champion connected Saturday, but Bellingham was connected manus to interruption the deadlock from a corner, proving that helium tin beryllium relied connected successful large moments erstwhile again.

The Los Blancos prima past teed up Kane to seal each 3 points with a large transverse from the near flank.

PANAMA VS. ENGLAND MATCH STATS

Possession: Panama 33%-67% England

Shots: Panama 13-17 England

Shots connected target: Panama 2-6 England

Corners: Panama 3-7 England

Fouls: Panama 16-13 England

BEST STATS

WHAT NEXT?

England volition apt look either Senegal oregon the Democratic Republic of Congo successful the circular of 32, though they volition person to hold to find retired their nonstop opponents astatine Atlanta Stadium connected June 1.

Panama were already retired of the World Cup, but they volition present caput location aft finishing connected zero points astatine the bottommost of Group L.