Panama vs England live online: goals, updates, score & stats | World Cup 2026 Group L

Croatia lead Ghana in other Group L clash

In today's other Group L game, Croatia are 1-0 up on Ghana thanks to this fine goal from Petar Sucic. What does it all mean for England and the round of 32? 

Pickford wins the race!

And just as well for England. José Luis Rodríguez looks to get on the end of a long ball forward and is involved in a straight race with Pickford, who is alert enough to lash the ball clear just in time. 

Rashford shoots just wide!

I'm not sure I'm a huge fan of Rashford's new facial hair, but his free kick technique is impressive. A fine free kick from the England attacker, but it curls just wide!

Free kick to England

A loose-ish touch from Bellingham falls to Kane, who is bundled over 30 yards from goal. A shooting chance coming up for England here. 

Three minutes of additional time are on the way. 

I'm in shock at how little we've seen of Harry Kane in the game. He's been completely anonymous so far. 

Córdoba schools Bellingham

That's superb defending from Córdoba, who gets the better of Bellingham in a physical battle, then shows great skill to evade the Real Madrid man's attempt to get the ball back off him. 

England have started playing with a bit more urgency again in the last few minutes as halftime approaches. Can they make the breakthrough? 

Rashford heads over!

That's a good chance for Rashford! He rises high at the back post to get on the end of cross from the right but can't quite keep his header down. 

They very nearly did! Saka looks infield from his starting position from the right and almost plays a slick one-two with Rogers. Gutiérrez manages to get a foot in to thwart the attack. 

Some harmless possession for England, which we already saw plenty of in the Ghana game. Can they step things up? 

Panama promise

Panama haven't attacked all that much, but when they have, they've looked almost more threatening. This particular move ended up being offside and Murillo took a terrible touch, but he was in acres of space at the back post. 

Just as I say that, Rashford lofts a lovely ball into the box for O'Reilly, who flicks it goanward with his head but can't get enough power on it to get it past Mosquera. 

England started well, with Rashford and Bellingham looking lively, but that's fizzled out. Not the fast tempo Tuchel was talking about before the game. 

Panama will be very happy with how things have gone so far. They've kept England at a distance and had the best chance of the game themselves. 

That's excellent defending from Andrade. Saka races through into the box and looks set to get a shot away with his right foot, unusually, but he is quickly shut down by the Panama defender, who wins a goal kick for his team to boot. 

Rodríguez denied by Pickford!

That's the best chance of the game so far, and it's for Panama! José Luis Rodríguez gets space between Quansah and Konsa and has a clear sight of goal. His low shot forces Pickford to parry the ball out for a corner. 

Hydration break: No way through for England

Boos ring round the stadium as we head into our first hydration break of the game. Van Morrison's “Brown Eyed Girl” is the first song of choice. Anyway, there's no real sign of an England goal. Rashford looked threatening early on, while Saka has been a bit wasteful on the other side. A couple of breaks from Panama have led to one shot on goal in the first few seconds of the game, but they've mostly focused on defending. 

Kane has finally made an appearance, now it's Rogers' turn. The Aston Villa man ghosts into the box and lays the ball off for Saka, whose first-time shot is well blocked by Gutiérrez. 

Who's the ref for Panama vs England? And the VAR?

In case you were wondering...

Referee: Abdulrahman Al Jassim (Qatar).

Assistant Referee 1: Taleb Almarri (Qatar).

Assistant Referee 2: Saoud Almaqaleh (Qatar).

Fourth Official: Sandro Schaerer (Switzerland).

Video Assistant Referee (VAR): Stephane de Almeida (Switzerland).

Kane's handball appeal

Harry Kane is playing after all! The England captain gets on the end of a cross into the box and volleys the ball across goal. It looks to hit a Panama arm and Kane wants a penalty, but it was far too close to the body to warrant a spot-kick. Nothing doing. 

Tomás Rodríguez wastes Panama chance

Ah, that was a chance for Panama to threaten! It looks as if Tomás Rodríguez is about to get a shot away from just outside the box, but he forgets to take the ball with him just as he's about to set himself for a shot. Oops. 

Saka shoots from a ridiculous angle after picking the ball up in space on the right. An easy save for Mosquera. Wasteful with teammates waiting in the box. 

Rashford has been the only threat for England so far. Plenty of possession for Tuchel's team, but the former Barcelona loanee is the only man who has looked dangerous. 

Bellingham in the wars

Bellingham is wiped out again after another driving run forward from midfield. He picks himself up, dusts himself down and is ready for more.  

Rashford the danger man

Rashford threatens again, getting in behind Murillo down the England left. He fizzes the ball across goal, but there are no takers in red. 

Rashford shot saved!

England's first attempt! Rashford cuts in from the left, as he so often does, and fires a low strike towards the near post, which Mosquera does well to push wide. 

Bellingham tries to take the game by the scruff of the neck and goes on a driving run from midfield before being crudely chopped down by Tomás Rodríguez. Ouch. 

Said corner is easily cleared. Forget I mentioned it. 

Rashford clips a nice ball into the box for Bellingham, whose run is excellently tracked by Córdoba, who sticks it out for a corner to England. 

England are starting to get a grip of possession, as you might expect. No threat so far, though. 

England in red

In case you're not watching on TV, England are playing in red for this one, with Panama in white. The CONCACAF country are the nominal ‘home’ team for the game. 

Panama almost strike first!

What a start from Panama! Tomás Rodríguez picks the ball up 25 yards out and rattles one towards goal, but it's straight at Pickford!

Panama vs England underway in New Jersey!

Here we go at MetLife Stadium! It's very wet...

God Save the... King?

England's anthem is, of course, God Save the King, but I wonder how many players are still in the habit of singing God Save the Queen. It's been four years since Queen Elizabeth II died, but I bet some still get it wrong. 

Classy Panama

As they aren't regular participants in the World Cup, I must admit I'm not familiar with the Panama anthem. A classy, upbeat number, although perhaps not quite as rousing as some others. 

National anthem time!

Panama coming up first. 

England team to play Panama

Pickford; Quansah, Konsa, Guéhi, O'Reilly; Bellingham, Anderson; Saka, Rogers, Rashford; Kane. 

Substitutes 

Rice, Stones, Dean Henderson, Trafford, Chalobah, Jordan Henderson, Burn, Mainoo, Gordon, Watkins, Madueke, Eze, Toney, Spence.

Panama team to play England

Mosquera; Murillo, Escobar, Cordóba, Andrade, Gutiérrez; Martínez, Bárcenas, Harvey, Jose Luís Rodríguez; Tomás Rodríguez.

Substitutes 

Mejia, Samudio, Blackman, Farina, Carrasquilla, Diaz, Ramos, Davis, Fajardo, Waterman, Quintero, Godoy, Yanis, Londono, Miller.

Ten minutes until kickoff!

Right, we've got about 10 minutes to go until kickoff, which seems like as good a time as any to remind of the lineups for today's game. 

Tuchel and England out to "put on a show, prove a point"

"We are very well prepared. We have a strong team on the pitch and are ready to go and put on a show, prove a point and win the match.

"I’m always excited about my team because we have a strong squad and the target is to speed up the game because it’s always difficult when you play against 10 men defending. We have some things to improve but we’re ready for it.

"I take care of Declan’s situation. He had a knock. He is ready to play but I manage his minutes a little and he has a yellow card. I want to see how this match plays out, how many duels, how many cards the referee shows and Declan knows that. That’s why Jude goes in the No 8 position and Morgan in the 10."

England: last 10 games

Jun. 23: England 0-0 Ghana (World Cup)

Jun. 17: England 4-2 Croatia (World Cup)

Jun. 10: England 3-0 Costa Rica (Friendly)

Jun. 6: England 1-0 New Zealand (Friendly)

Mar. 31: England 0-1 Japan (Friendly)

Mar. 27: England 1-1 Uruguay (Friendly)

Nov. 16: Albania 0-2 England (World Cup qualifying)

Nov. 13: England 2-0 Serbia (World Cup qualifying)

Oct. 14: Latvia 0-5 England (World Cup qualifying)

Oct. 9: England 3-0 Wales (Friendly)

England search for consistency

Since the start of the 2025-26 season, England have lost only one of 12 games, against Japan at Wembley in March. They've conceded only four goals in those matches, although the question with the Three Lions is always the same one: how will they fare when they come up against one of the world's top teams? When did they last beat one of them in a meaningful game? 

Panama: last 10 games

Jun. 23: Panama 0-1 Croatia (World Cup)

Jun. 17: Ghana 1-0 Panama (World Cup)

Jun. 6: Panama 1-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina (Friendly)

Jun. 3: Panama 4-2 Dominican Republic (Friendly)

May 31: Brazil 6-2 Panama (Friendly)

Mar. 31: South Africa 1-2 Panama (Friendly)

Mar. 27: South Africa 1-1 Panama (Friendly)

Jan. 22: Panama 0-1 Mexico (Friendly)

Jan. 18: Bolivia 1-1 Panama (Friendly)

Nov. 18: Panama 3-0 El Salvador (World Cup qualifying)

Panama's recent struggles

Despite qualifying for just their second World Cup, Panama didn't come into it in especially great form. Including their defeats to Ghana and Croatia, Thomas Christiansen's team have won just two of their last nine games, friendlies against the Dominican Republic and South Africa. 

England’s leading World Cup goalscorers

Just in case you were wondering. Two other members of the current squad, Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka, are also among England's leading World Cup scorers. 

Gary Lineker – 10 goals

Harry Kane – 10 goals

Geoff Hurst – 5 goals

Bobby Charlton – 4 goals

Michael Owen – 4 goals

Marcus Rashford - 4 goals

Nat Lofthouse – 3 goals

Roger Hunt – 3 goals

David Platt – 3 goals

David Beckham – 3 goals

Steven Gerrard – 3 goals

Bukayo Saka - 3 goals

Harry Kane chases World Cup record

An England World Cup record, but a World Cup record nevertheless. Harry Kane is already The Three Lions' record goalscorer, with a whopping 81 goals in 116 caps. Ten of those goals have come in the World Cup, which is the joint English record alongside Gary Lineker. He missed a huge chance to get to 11 against Ghana, but is anyone betting against him doing it today? 

Panama vs England: Head-to-head record and previous meetings

Panama and England have only ever met once before and it was an incredibly one-sided affair at the 2018 World Cup, the first time Panama had ever qualified for the tournament. The Three Lions were 5-0 up at halftime thanks to doubles from John Stones and Harry Kane, and a Jesse Lingard strike. Yes, Jesse Lingard started for England, that’s how long ago it was.

Kane completed his hat trick in the second half before Panama pulled a goal back through Felipe Baloy.

A 6-1 defeat for the CONCACAF nation, although it could’ve been even worse after that first half.

The stage is set: A look inside the stadium

Today's game is taking place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which is the venue for the 2026 World Cup final on July 19. A bit of an odd choice, if you ask me, as the stadium, normally the home of the New York Giants and the New York Jets in the NFL, doesn't look quite right for soccer, in my opinion. There looks to be very little room around the side of the field, with the crowd very close to the action. Maybe it's just me. 

MetLife Stadium is hosting eight games in total, including games in the round of 32 and round of 16. 

Panama suffer narrow defeats to Ghana and Croatia

If you want to catch up on those two Panana defeats, be my guest. One was a heartbreaking loss in injury time, denying the CONCACAF side their first ever World Cup point. The second was a stuffy performance, undone early in the second half. 

Panama's tournament so far: Pride still on the line

As we said a little earlier, Panama are already out with a game still to play. However, they've shown up well in their two games so far, which have resulted in narrow defeats to Ghana and Croatia. A stark contrast to their previous World Cup appearance in 2018, when they lost their three group games by an aggregate score of 11-2. 

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England vs Ghana live online: updates, score, goals and highlights | 2026 World Cup Group L 

But the following game against Ghana was an entirely different affair. A slow and ponderous England were kept at arm's length by the African side, who felt they should have had a penalty in the second half. Harry Kane had one clear sight of goal for The Three Lions but uncharacteristically blazed over the bar. No way through.

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England vs Croatia live online: updates, goals, score and highlights | 2026 World Cup

Harry Kane scored twice in that opening 4-2 win over Croatia, who managed to get back to 2-2 despite a strong England showing. Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford were also on target as the Three Lions roared in the early stages of the second half. 

This is how it all went down. 

A reminder of England's World Cup journey so far

England got off to a blistering start in their opening game, impressing with their high-tempo play in a 4-2 win over Croatia.

But Ghana well and truly pooped on the far-too-premature party, restricting the Three Lions to very few clear-cut chances in a 0-0 draw in their second group game.

Four points from two games so far, which is fine, but could be better in what is not an overly taxing group.

Palmer, Foden, Trent: England missing three big names

England coach Thomas Tuchel sprung two huge surprises when he named his roster for the World Cup, leaving star attacking duo Cole Palmer and Phil Foden at home after their admittedly underwhelming seasons with Chelsea and Manchester City respectively. Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze are instead England's main options in the No. 10 role.

Real Madrid fullback Trent Alexander-Arnold also missed out, although his absence is less of a surprise as he has barely featured for his country since Tuchel took over.

Here's some reading on what’s going on with some of England’s biggest names and their status with the national team. 

Reece James misses out for England through injury

Chelsea captain Reece James started both of England's first two group games at right back but has dropped out of the team to play Panama after picking up a hamstring injury. James is expected to miss at least the next two games, although there seems to be no guarantee he'd be available for the last 16 if England get there.  

Panama team to play England in New Jersey

Panama are without midfielder Adalberto Carrasquilla, who has suffered a groin injury but hasn't played a minute of his country’s first two games anyway.

Head coach Thomas Christiansen, who was born in Denmark but played twice for Spain, is expected to set his team out in a defensive 5-4-1 system, which could prove problematic for England, who struggled to break down a deep-lying Ghana team.

Mosquera; Murillo, Escobar, Córdoba, Andrade, Gutierrez; Martínez, Bárcenas, Harvey, José Luis Rodríguez; Tomás Rodrigúez

Who will England play in the round of 32?

Let's assume England win this game, which they should. That would see them top Group L, unless Ghana beat Croatia by a bigger margin and end up with a better goal difference. Assuming The Three Lions finish first, they’ll play their round of 32 game against the third-placed team from Group I (Senegal), J or K in Atlanta on July 1.

A victory there could set a potential round of 16 clash with co-hosts Mexico at Estadio Azteca, which would really capture the imagination. On paper, at least.

Winning Group L would also result in England being on the same side of the bracket as Brazil, Argentina and Portugal, if they win Group K.

If they finish second, they’ll face Portugal or Colombia (the Group K runner-up) in Toronto on July 2 and potentially meet France, Germany, the Netherlands or the United States later on.

World Cup 2026

Why isn’t Declan Rice playing for England today against Panama in the World Cup?

In case you're wondering why on earth England would choose to play without key midfield man Declan Rice, with winning the group at stake, then there is actually a logical explanation for it. My esteemed colleague Joe Brennan is here to explain. 

England team to play Panama in New Jersey

The England line up is out and there's some big news! Declan Rice drops out of the team, while Bukayo Saka, Morgan Rogers and Marcus Rashford are in!

Pickford; Quansah, Guehi, Konsa, O'Reilly; Anderson, Bellingham; Saka, Rogers, Rashford, Kane. 

World Cup 2026

World Cup 2026 latest bracket: qualified teams, matchups and who faces whom in the round of 32

With only six group games still be played, including this one, we already know the identities of 28 of the 32 teams that will be taking part in the next round. Of course, the big hitters are all in there: France, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, England and Portugal. Apart from Italy (I'm genuinely sorry, Italian readers).

The three co-hosts have all done the business too, with the United States and Mexico, who have won all three games, qualifying as group winners, with Canada also making it through.

Nine matchups have already been decided, with a few still to be set, including England’s. Tonight’s game will determine their next opponents.

Here's what's coming up next. 

Teams eliminated from the 2026 World Cup

Curaçao

Czechia

Haiti

Iraq

Jordan

New Zealand

Türkiye

Tunisia

Panama

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

Uruguay

World Cup 2026

Third-place table at the 2026 World Cup so far: who would Mexico play?

If you've missed all the chat about how third-placed teams get through, this article contains the ranking of third-placed teams from each of the 12 groups at the World Cup. The eight with the best records qualify for the round of 32, which is calculated by points (obviously), then goal difference, then goals scored. 

As a result, some teams that have already played their last group game, such as South Korea and Scotland, are waiting around to see what happens in tonight's final group games. 

Qualified teams for the 2026 World Cup round of 32

Group winners:

Argentina

Belgium

Brazil

Germany

France

Mexico

Netherlands

Spain

Switzerland

United States

Runners-up:

Australia

Canada

Cape Verde

Egypt

Ivory Coast

Japan

Morocco

Norway

South Africa

Third place:

Bosnia-Herzegovina

Ecuador

Paraguay

Senegal

Sweden

Qualified but position TBC:

Colombia

England

Ghana

Portugal

What is today’s other game in Group L?

If you're as clever as I know you are, you’ll have worked out that Croatia face Ghana in today’s other game in Group L, which takes place at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. That one kicks off at the same time as our game, which is the case for the final two matches in each group.

Ghana, like England, are guaranteed to go through as one of the best third-placed teams, at worst. Croatia will also qualify unless they lose by three goals or more. 

World Cup 2026

What happens if teams end up with the same number of points in the World Cup group stage?

For the first time in the FIFA World Cup, head-to-head record rather than goal difference is the first tiebreaker for teams that finish level on points, which is why Panama are done for. They could draw level with Croatia on three points but will finish below the 2018 finalists after losing to them in their second group game.

Our Calum and Will have teamed up here to explain exactly how it all works.

Can Panama still qualify for the round of 32?

The bad news for Panama is that they go into today's game against England having already been eliminated. That’s what happens when you lose two from two. That said, they could win today and finish with a better overall record than some third-placed teams from other groups that do qualify. But the problem is that they can’t finish third in their own group, they are destined to finish bottom.

Have England already qualified for the round of 32?

England are guaranteed a place in round of 32 after a win and a draw in their first two games. Even a defeat would leave them on four points, which will almost certainly be enough for a top-two finish in Group L. The only way England could drop down to third is if both they and Ghana lose today and they end up with with a worse goal difference (the second tiebreaker) than the African side. But even if the Three Lions do finish third, they will go through as one of the best third-placed teams.

World Cup Group L standings before kickoff

As it stands, England are top of Group L, as everybody expected. Although their position isn't as dominant as many thought. After an impressive performance in their opening victory against Croatia, they struggled to a goalless draw against Ghana, who defended superbly to frustrate their talented opponents. That leaves Thomas Tuchel’s team with four points from two games.

Panama, meanwhile, have lost their first two games, which isn’t a massive shock, if we’re being honest. The defeats to Ghana and Croatia have been by just a single goal, which some would see as more of a surprise, especially after their last World Cup campaign. More on that later. 

"Disgusting" weather conditions before Panama vs England kickoff

We've heard plenty about how the heat is impacting teams, players, fans and pretty much everyone at this World Cup, although that’s not necessarily the case for today’s game in East Rutherford. Temperatures are sitting around 76° F (24° C) with mostly cloudy skies and passing showers, which have already begun. Cooler and damper than you might expect at this time of year.

England vs Panama: kickoff times, how to watch in the U.S.

If you're in the United States and you're still looking for a way to watch this intriguing Group L game, then you're in luck! 

It will be available for U.S. viewers to watch on FOX Network, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, FOX One and fubo. Just don't forget to keep this page open while you feast your eyes on Panama and England's finest. 

What time does Panama vs England kick off? 

The game in New Jersey gets underway at 5:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. PT. I'll assume you’re not at the stadium if you’re reading this, so what better way to wash down your lunch if you’re in the west, or to whet your appetite for dinner if you’re in the west?

There’s a little over 90 minutes to go until kick-off, stay tuned for some news, stats, facts, and probably some nonsense before the game gets underway.

Hello and welcome to live text coverage of Panama vs England in World Cup 2026 Group L!

Hello and welcome to live text coverage of the final Group L game of the 2026 World Cup, which sees Panama take on England at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Today's game is more meaningful for one of the two countries than the other, which we’ll get into in just a moment. England, as one of the pre-tournament favorites, will expect to pick up maximum points, while Panama will be hoping to spring what would be the biggest surprise of the tournament so far.

Thanks for joining me for (almost) every kick off the ball from the venue which will host the 2026 World Cup final on July 19.