Brazilian star says England are predictable after Ghana draw at World Cup

Dunga used England’s scoreless draw with Ghana to raise a larger issue about Gareth Southgate’s side: whether their pattern has become easy to read on the international stage. After the 0-0 finish at Boston Stadium, the Brazilian argued that England showed the same shape and habits as before, giving opponents a clearer route to take points from them, even as Roque Santa Cruz continued to back them as contenders for the title.

The result left England and Ghana on four points apiece in Group L and kept England unbeaten in the tournament. Ghana produced a strong defensive performance, and England was stalled by a dogged Ghana side. The late chance that most nearly decided it fell to Nico O’Reilly, whose header came back off the bar in the closing moments.

It was England’s second group match and the first official meeting between the countries at a World Cup. Their only previous official encounter had been a 1-1 friendly at Wembley on March 29, 2011. The Group L draw, completed on December 5, 2025, paired England with Ghana, Croatia and Panama, a section viewed as demanding because it included two European powers alongside two sides with strong tournament credentials.

Ghana’s point on Monday carried added weight because it came at the start of its fifth World Cup campaign. The draw also reinforced the idea that England can control a group without always convincing, especially against opponents prepared to sit deep and deny space between the lines. That has become the central question around Southgate’s team, more than the result itself.

Roque Santa Cruz’s view cut the other way. The 44-year-old forward, still with Club Nacional de Asunción, kept England among the favorites to lift the trophy, underlining the respect they still command even after being held by Ghana. For England, the numbers are still solid: four points, no defeat, and a route still open from Group L.