Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane scored second-half goals as England got the job done against Panama at the World Cup on Saturday, a 2-0 victory at the MetLife Stadium taking Thomas Tuchel's team into the last 32 as Group L winners.

Real Madrid star Bellingham got on the end of a Bukayo Saka corner to break the deadlock just after the hour mark on a soggy day in New Jersey.

It was largely uninspiring stuff up to that point, but the opening goal had been coming and Bellingham then crossed for Kane to head in the second midway through the second half.

That was Kane's third goal of the tournament after he netted a brace in the opening 4-2 win over Croatia, and the England captain has now moved clear of Gary Lineker as his country's all-time leading World Cup scorer with 11.

Three of those goals came when England thrashed Panama 6-1 at the 2018 tournament in Russia, but the Three Lions did not have things quite so easy this time against hard-working but limited opponents.

Questions were perhaps being asked about England's World Cup prospects an hour into this match, following the goalless draw against Ghana in Boston last Tuesday.

They have not yet reached the same heights again as in their victory against Croatia, but England advance to the next round on top of the group with seven points out of a possible nine.

Topping the section is important, as it means they avoid a possible clash with Spain in the last 16.

Instead they will head to Atlanta for a tie next Wednesday, July 1 against a third-placed team.

Win that, and they will be off to Mexico City in the last 16, possibly to play Mexico, in the Azteca Stadium where they lost to Diego Maradona's Argentina in 1986.

In the other Group L game, Croatia beat Ghana 2-1 to claim second spot on Saturday to secure their passage to the last 32 of the World Cup.

Petar Sucic opened the scoring in the first half before a resurgent Ghana dominated the second period, eventually levelling courtesy of Derrick Luckassen.

But the 2018 runners-up showed their grit to dig out a late winner from the head of Nikola Vlasic as they set up a knockout clash with the second-placed side from Group K in Toronto on Thursday.

Ghana were already assured of progressing to the last 32 before the match in Philadelphia kicked off thanks to their defeat of Panama and stalemate against England in their opening two encounters.

It will be their third appearance in the knockout stages of a World Cup. (AFP)


Edited by Tony Sabine