Kane Breaks Lineker's Record as England Top Group, Ghana's World Cup Exit Confirmed

England have secured first place in World Cup 2026 Group L after a composed 2-0 victory over Panama at the New York/New Jersey Stadium, with second-half goals from Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane doing the damage. The result also confirms that Ghana, who drew with England earlier in the group stage, have been eliminated from the tournament.

It was Bellingham who broke the deadlock on 62 minutes, holding off his marker to prod home on the volley from a Bukayo Saka corner. The midfielder then turned provider, whipping in a cross for Kane to head home his 11th World Cup goal — surpassing the record of 10 previously held by England legend Gary Lineker.

England coach Thomas Tuchel had made five changes following the stalemate against the Black Stars, handing first starts on North American soil to Morgan Rogers, Marcus Rashford and Saka. Rashford was lively in the first half, forcing a full-stretch save from Panama goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera, but England struggled to break down a well-organised Panamanian side before the interval.

Panama, who had Jose Fajardo's late strike ruled out for offside, exit the tournament without a single point or goal, despite registering double figures in attempts on goal across the group stage. Their midfielder Jose Luis Rodriguez was gracious in defeat, crediting his teammates for competing hard against one of Europe's top sides.

For England, attention now turns to the Round of 32, where they face a third-placed finisher from one of several groups in Atlanta on Wednesday, 1 July. Tuchel was measured but optimistic after the final whistle, insisting the real tournament begins now. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Jordan Pickford quietly made history of his own, earning his 15th World Cup appearance to move into outright second place on England's all-time list — behind only Peter Shilton's record of 17.

Key Quotes

• Thomas Tuchel: "We did what we needed. The tournament starts again now with the knockouts. The bigger the games, the better we'll get."
• Jude Bellingham: "The first job achieved. Every game we've got to improve, and the record is everything Harry Kane deserves."