England secured top spot in Group H and a potentially easier path in the FIFA World Cup knockout rounds after second-half goals from Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane sealed a 2-0 victory over Panama on Saturday.
After a dull first half at a rain-soaked MetLife Stadium, where Panama frustrated the Three Lions and limited captain Harry Kane’s involvement, England found their breakthrough just after the hour mark.
Bellingham opened the scoring in the 62nd minute, reacting quickest to a Bukayo Saka corner.
Despite being tightly marked by Jorge Gutiérrez inside the six-yard area, the midfielder managed to poke the ball beyond goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera for his third World Cup goal and second of the tournament.
England doubled their advantage five minutes later. Bellingham turned provider with a precise cross from the left, allowing Kane to rise above Andrés Andrade and power a header into the net.
The strike was Kane’s 82nd goal for England and his 11th at the World Cup, moving him past Gary Lineker as the nation’s all-time leading scorer in the competition.
The victory ensured England finished the group stage unbeaten with seven points from two wins and a draw. Thomas Tuchel’s side will now head to Atlanta for a round-of-32 clash against either Senegal or Congo DR, with a possible meeting against Mexico or Ecuador awaiting in the next round.
Finishing first also helped England avoid a tougher section of the draw that could have featured encounters with Colombia or Portugal, followed by potential clashes against Spain, Austria or Algeria.
Panama, meanwhile, ended their campaign without a point after a third consecutive defeat.
The Central Americans became only the sixth team to lose their first six World Cup matches, joining Iraq, Haiti, El Salvador, Canada and Mexico on that unwanted list. José Fajardo thought he had pulled one back in stoppage time, but his effort was ruled out for offside.
Thousands of England supporters created a home-like atmosphere inside the stadium, waving St. George’s Cross flags representing clubs ranging from Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers to lower-league sides such as Crawley Town, Bristol Rovers and Faversham Town.
The win sends England into the knockout rounds for the seventh time in their last eight World Cup appearances as they continue their quest for a first world title since 1966.
Tuchel made several changes to his starting lineup, with Jarell Quansah filling in at right-back for the injured Reece James and Nico O’Reilly replacing Djed Spence on the opposite flank.
Bukayo Saka, Morgan Rogers and Marcus Rashford were also recalled in midfield, taking the places of Declan Rice, Noni Madueke and Anthony Gordon.
Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford made his 15th World Cup appearance, moving into second place among England players behind only Peter Shilton’s record of 17 matches.
