Group L England 2-0 Panama Croatia 2-1 Ghana Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane scored five minutes apart in the second half as England defeated a resilient Panama 2-0 to seal top spot in Group L and book their place in the FIFA World Cup Round of 32. In the group's other fixture, Croatia edged Ghana 2-1 to finish second, while the Black Stars progressed as one of the tournament's third-placed teams. Playing before a sea of England supporters that turned New Jersey's MetLife Stadium into a virtual home ground, Thomas Tuchel's side dominated possession but struggled to find a breakthrough against a disciplined Panama defence. England created little of note in the opening half, with captain Harry Kane seeing little of the ball as Panama frustrated the Three Lions. The breakthrough finally arrived in the 62nd minute when Bukayo Saka's corner found Jude Bellingham inside the six-yard box. Despite being tightly marked by Jorge Gutiérrez, the midfielder stretched to poke the ball beyond goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera for his third goal of the tournament. Just five minutes later, Bellingham turned provider. The midfielder delivered an inviting cross from the left and Kane rose above Andrés Andrade to head home England's second. The strike was Kane's third goal of the tournament and his 11th at FIFA World Cup finals, moving him past Gary Lineker as England's all-time leading World Cup scorer. England finished the group stage unbeaten with seven points, having opened their campaign with a 4-2 victory over Croatia before drawing goalless with Ghana. Croatia, meanwhile, had to work hard to secure the second automatic qualification spot. Petar Sušić gave Zlatko Dalić's side the lead after 31 minutes with a superb long-range effort into the bottom corner. Ghana responded strongly after the break and deservedly equalised in the 73rd minute through Derrick Luckassen, who marked his international debut with a composed finish at the back post from Ernest Nuamah's inviting free-kick. The goal was briefly checked by VAR for a possible offside before referee Drew Fischer ruled that Kwasi Sibol, although in an offside position, had not interfered with play. Croatia restored their advantage ten minutes later when Luka Modrić's corner found Nikola Vlašić unmarked at the back post, and the midfielder guided a downward header beyond Benjamin Asare. The Black Stars pressed for another equaliser until the final whistle, while Antoine Semenyo recovered from a late ankle knock to complete the match. England now advance to the Round of 32 as Group L winners, with Croatia joining them as runners-up. Despite the defeat, Ghana's four-point haul was enough to secure progression as one of the competition's best third-placed teams, keeping Carlos Queiroz's side in the World Cup.
