England defeat Panama, while Croatia overcome Ghana to secure their qualification tickets for the Round of 32.

England national team confirmed their spot in the Round of 32 after defeating Panama 2-0 in the final Group L match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, held at New York Stadium, United States on Sunday WIB. Meanwhile, Croatia secured their knockout phase ticket after beating Ghana 2-1 at Philadelphia Stadium.

The win over Panama saw The Three Lions finish top of Group L standings with seven points, collected from two victories and one draw. Croatia qualified as group runners-up, while Ghana still hold hopes of advancing to the knockout stage via the best third-placed team path despite falling to Vatreni.

England dominated the match, but Panama's tight defensive line forced the first half to end goalless.

The Three Lions finally broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute. Starting from a Bukayo Saka corner kick, Jude Bellingham won an aerial duel against Panama's defender before directing the ball into the goal. England took a 1-0 lead.

Just five minutes later, Bellingham turned provider for England's second goal. The Real Madrid midfielder delivered a cross which Harry Kane finished into the net in the 67th minute, sealing the 2-0 victory.

England's dominance was reflected in the match statistics. The Three Lions recorded 17 total attempts with six shots on target, while Panama produced 13 shots with only two on goal.

This defeat ended Panama's tournament run as Group L's bottom placed side, also making them the only team in the group that failed to score a single goal throughout the group stage.

As group winners, England received a relatively favourable path in the Round of 32. They will face one of the best third-placed teams, with the spot still being contested between Senegal, Algeria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Should they progress to the Round of 16, England are on course to potentially face tournament hosts Mexico, before a possible quarter-final meeting against either Brazil or Norway.

Croatia Join England In Advancing To Knockout Stage

In the other group fixture, Croatia played with disciplined organisation against Ghana, who were also fighting for a knockout stage ticket. Zlatko Dalic's side controlled the tempo of the game from the outset through ball possession and short passing play.

Croatia broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute. Petar Sucic fired a powerful shot from outside the penalty box into the top right corner of Ghana's goal, putting Croatia ahead 1-0.

Ghana stepped up their attacking intensity after the half time break, and eventually equalised through Derrick Luckassen. The goal was initially ruled out for offside, but after referee Drew Thomas Fischer reviewed the incident via VAR, the goal was awarded in the 76th minute, bringing the score to 1-1.

Croatia responded immediately. Just minutes after conceding, Nikola Vlasic met a corner kick delivery with a precise header in the 83rd minute, restoring Croatia's lead at 2-1. Vlasic's goal proved to be the winner, and confirmed Vatreni's place in the Round of 32.

Alongside England, Croatia are the two sides from Group L that qualified directly for the knockout phase, while Ghana still retain a chance of advancing via the best third-placed team ranking.