England Beat Panama 2-0 To Top Group L As Bellingham Delivers And Kane Breaks England World Cup Scoring Record

Jude Bellingham delivered a goal and an assist as England beat Panama 2-0 at New York and New Jersey Stadium, sealing first place in Group L and a last-32 spot, while Harry Kane became England’s all-time leading World Cup scorer by reaching 11 goals during a controlled but patient victory.

Both goals arrived after the break, with Bellingham striking first from a corner and then setting up Kane soon after. The result confirmed England will meet either DR Congo or Senegal in the round of 32, while Panama’s defeat ended any remaining hopes of progressing from Group L.

England needed time to break Panama’s organisation, especially after a first half where Marcus Rashford missed two clear chances and Thomas Tuchel’s players showed rising frustration. Yet England stayed composed, tightened their attacking patterns, and were eventually rewarded by Bellingham’s precision and Kane’s historic finishing from close range.

{TABLE_1}

Bellingham’s opener arrived in the 62nd minute. Bukayo Saka delivered an out-swinging corner from the right, which reached Bellingham near the edge of the box. The Real Madrid midfielder guided a low shot into the bottom-left corner, finally beating Panama goalkeeper and ending a lengthy spell of pressure.

Five minutes later, Bellingham created England’s second. Collecting the ball in space, Bellingham swung in an accurate cross, which Kane glanced past the goalkeeper. That header moved Kane to 11 World Cup goals, taking England’s record outright and putting Kane one clear of Gary Lineker’s previous tally of 10.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Bellingham said, "The first job achieved.we came here to do it in sections and now we've achieved that first objective to get through the group and to top it as well. We knew what level we wanted to achieve and we did it second half. Every game we've got to improve and it's up to us to achieve that. The assist was a good combination of play and the [England World Cup goalscoring] record is everything Harry Kane deserves."

England vs Panama World Cup contest: Panama’s approach and exit

Panama arrived at this fixture under pressure, following 1-0 defeats to Ghana and Croatia in their opening group matches. Thomas Christiansen’s line-up focused on discipline without the ball, defending deep, closing central spaces, and using counters whenever England lost possession, especially down the flanks.

The Central American side carried that defensive structure into most of the match, frustrating England for long periods. Panama blocked crosses, challenged strongly in midfield and tried to transition quickly when chances appeared, yet they eventually conceded twice in quick succession midway through the second half, which confirmed Panama’s elimination from the World Cup.

Speaking to RPC Radio after the game, Panama winger Jose Luis Rodriguez said, "Very happy with the team's performance. In the end, we didn't get the results we expected, but we competed until the end. We didn't give up. Perhaps in the first few matches we need to be more clinical in front of goal, like we were in this game. But I'm very happy with how we played in the matches because, in the end, we fought, we didn't give up, and we're left with that. We tried to close down the spaces well, try to play on the counter-attack, obviously in the second half we decided to take a few more risks, but in the end it's football and I want to thank my teammates for fighting until the end."

England now move on as Group L winners with momentum, Bellingham central to both goals and Kane holding the national World Cup scoring record outright, while Panama leave the tournament after three defeats yet with credit for disciplined defending and a competitive display against one of the competition’s leading contenders.