England beat Panama 2-0 and finished the group stage unbeaten, sending the DR Congo national football team into their next assignment in the Round of 32. Thomas Tuchel’s side won Group L with seven points, and the knockout path is now set.
Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane scored in the final group match. Kane’s goal pushed him to 11 goals overall and made him England’s record scorer at World Cups, moving him past Gary Lineker’s mark of 16.
Kane Passes Lineker
Kane’s goal was the number that changed the record book. He now has 11 goals, and that tally gives England a new top scorer at World Cups after Lineker’s previous total of 16. The forward did it in the same match that sealed England’s place at the top of Group L.
Bellingham’s goal mattered too. England needed the result, and the 2-0 win delivered it without a loss across the group stage. Seven points was enough to finish first, and that finish decides the Round of 32 pairing.
England Draw DR Congo
The next step is already fixed: England will face DR Congo in the Round of 32. That is the reward for winning the group, and it gives Tuchel a set opponent before the knockout stage begins.
DR Congo advanced into the Round of 32 from the other side of the bracket, which is how the knockout field now opens up. For England, the route is straightforward: carry the unbeaten group run into a one-match knockout against DR Congo and avoid the drop-off that ends a World Cup quickly.
Scotland Exit Spurs Change
Elsewhere, Scotland finished at the foot of their group after defeats against Morocco and Brazil and a win over Haiti. Steve Clarke resigned after Scotland were eliminated, adding another managerial change to a tournament that has already shifted quickly.
England’s picture is cleaner. They are through, they have their opponent, and Kane has the scoring record. The only immediate question left is whether the unbeaten group form carries over when they meet DR Congo in the Round of 32.
