Kane's late miss sees England frustrated by Ghana

ESPN

Jun 23, 2026, 06:10 PM ET

Harry Kane missed a golden late chance as England's World Cup campaign was brought back to earth with a goalless draw against Ghana at Gillette Stadium on Tuesday.

England had only enhanced their credentials as one of the pre-tournament favorites in an opening 4-2 win over Croatia. But they couldn't find a way past a Ghana side ranked 65th by FIFA -- the lowest ranked team that England has faced at a major international tournament over the last 30 years.

Thomas Tuchel's side would have secured their place in the knockout stage with a win and that looked to be on the cards when the ball fell invitingly to Kane after Nico O'Reilly's header came back off the crossbar in the 86th minute.

Instead England's record goalscorer, who scored twice against Croatia, uncharacteristically blasted the ball high over the crossbar before holding his head in his hands.

Ghana celebrated at the final whistle after a result that left them with four points from two games and in a strong position to reach the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time since they reached the quarterfinals in 2010.

England will face Panama in their final group game on Saturday, while Ghana will face Croatia at the same time.