England tops Group L as Croatia, Ghana advance in World Cup

England finished Group L on top with a 2-0 win over Panama, and Harry Kane pushed past Gary Lineker with his 11th World Cup goal to set a new England men’s scoring mark in the tournament. Croatia then beat Ghana 2-1 to claim second place, while Ghana still advanced as one of the third-place teams in the expanded Round of 32 format. With the final group-stage matches closing on June 27, the bracket has started to separate the teams that controlled their fate from the ones still clinging to a knockout route.

For England, the payoff was more than a clean result. The 2-0 scoreline delivered first place in Group L and removed the uncertainty that comes with chasing qualification on the final day, while Kane’s goal changed the record book at the same time. England now move into the knockout round with a group-winning label and the pressure that comes with it, because every step after this is shaped by seeding and the path it creates.

Croatia’s 2-1 win over Ghana carried a different kind of weight. Second place in the group keeps Croatia alive and, after a tight match, leaves them looking sturdier than a team merely slipping through on timing. The margin was narrow, but the result mattered: Croatia did not need a tiebreak or a favor elsewhere, and that makes their advance look earned rather than accidental.

Ghana’s route was more complicated, but still good enough. The Black Stars advanced as a third-place qualifier, a status that carries less margin than finishing second but remains enough in a 2026 tournament built around a broader knockout field. The result keeps Ghana in the hunt, yet the narrow loss to Croatia also suggests a team that has survived rather than imposed itself.

The same bracket pressure was on display in Group K, where Colombia met Portugal at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens with first place on the line. Colombia could finish first with either a win or a draw, and the result would determine Round of 32 seeding and possible knockout opponents. Colombia entered that match after opening the tournament with a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan, while the scale of demand in Miami was underscored by the fact that Portugal’s coach had to buy his own tickets in December.