Bellingham and Kane fire England past Panama, top Group L

England won Group L, but the performance at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford raised as many questions as it answered. Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane delivered the goals in a 2-0 victory over Panama, yet Thomas Tuchel’s side again leaned on individual brilliance to break a stubborn opponent and secure first place in rainy New York/New Jersey.

Panama made England work far harder than the teams’ 6-1 meeting at the 2018 World Cup, when England ran away with the game. This time, Panama resisted strongly in the first half and kept the contest tight before Bellingham broke through in the 62nd minute. Kane followed five minutes later, finishing off the result and sending England into the knockout stage as group winners.

The ending carried its own milestones. Kane’s goal moved him past Gary Lineker to become England’s all-time leading World Cup scorer with 11 goals, adding another record to a career already defined by pressure moments for his country. Jordan Pickford also made history in the same match, earning his 15th World Cup appearance and moving into outright second place on England’s all-time World Cup appearance list, behind only Peter Shilton on 17.

Bellingham’s night was sealed with the player-of-the-match award from FIFA, a fitting recognition after he supplied the opening goal that loosened Panama’s grip on the game. England’s place in the last 32 is secure, and the path ahead will now depend on whether Tuchel’s side can build a more complete performance before facing one of the best third-placed teams.