Overview
- England beat Panama 2-0 on Sunday to finish first in Group L, with Jude Bellingham opening the scoring and Harry Kane adding a second.
- Kane’s goal made him England’s sole World Cup record goalscorer, a milestone celebrated by teammates and fans at East Rutherford.
- Manager Thomas Tuchel urged improvement ahead of the knockouts and told players to savour the group-stage achievement while preparing to raise standards.
- UK media and pundits have voiced sharp criticism of England’s style and selection, with Roy Keane publicly saying Tuchel appears unsure of his best starting eleven.
- The team now travels to Atlanta to face the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the Round of 16 on Wednesday, a match framed as the next real test after mixed group-stage form.