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England beat Panama 2-0 in their final World Cup group game on Saturday to finish top of Group L.
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Second half goals from Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham and Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane were enough to ensure the Three Lions saw off a spirited Panama side, setting up a round of 32 clash with the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Atlanta next week.
Bellingham poked home from a corner on 62 minutes before Kane sealed the victory with a powerful header five minutes later.
While Thomas Tuchel’s side will be pleased to have got the job done, they will need to make big improvements if they hope to go far in the tournament.
Speaking after the match, Tuchel said it was a “difficult game” but shrugged off any concerns over the performance.
“I know as a coach what it takes to win these matches. There is no problem if these matches feel tight, if these matches feel tough, it will help us in the next match,” he told reporters.
Croatia finished second in Group L after securing a 2-1 win over Ghana on Saturday, with goals for Nikola Vlasic and Petar Sučić. They will now go on to face Portugal in Toronto.
Ghana also managed to seal their place in the knockout phase despite finishing in third place in the group. They will play Colombia in Kansas City for a place in the last 16.
Elsewhere, Argentine talisman Lionel Messi added to his World Cup tally as Argentina beat Jordan 3-1, curling a low free kick around the wall to add to goals from Lautaro Martínez and Giovani Lo Celso.
Head coach Lionel Scaloni’s team have impressed so far, winning all three of their group stage fixtures.
Messi is the tournament’s top scorer, already having notched up six goals – two clear of France’s Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé, Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior and Norway striker Erling Haaland.
World Cup newcomers Cape Verde await Argentina in the round of 32.
