England finish perfectly as Bellingham and Kane sink Panama into first place in Group L – THIS UPDATE

England completed an unbeaten run in Group L with a 2-0 win over Panama, as Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane scored in the second half to confidently send the Three Lions into the round of 32 of the FIFA World Cup.

Despite dominating possession and creating the best chances from the opening whistle at the MetLife Stadium, Thomas Tuchel’s men found it difficult to dismantle Panama’s disciplined defensive structure.

Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Bellingham tested goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera before the break, while Panama threatened through José Luis Rodríguez to remind England they cannot afford to become complacent.

The breakthrough finally came on the hour mark, when Bellingham reacted quicker to turn home Saka’s corner, rewarding England’s persistent pressure. Four minutes later, the midfielder turned creator, feeding Kane an inviting cross to head home a header that not only secured victory but also saw the England captain become his nation’s all-time leading World Cup goalscorer.

Panama briefly thought they had one back late on, only for José Fajardo’s shot to be ruled out for offside after a VAR review.

The defeat ended a disappointing season for the Central Americans, who exited the tournament without scoring a single goal.

England’s reward for winning Group L is a round of 32 showdown against DR Congo, while Tuchel’s side arrive at the knockout stages unbeaten and growing in confidence after another professional performance.