England advances to World Cup playoffs

NEW YORK, June 28. /TASS/. England defeated Panama 2:0 in the third and final round of the FIFA World Cup’s group stage, and advanced to the playoff.

The match was played in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The goals were scored by Jude Bellingham (62nd minute) and Harry Kane (67').

Harry Kane scored the 11th World Cup goal of his career to overtake Gary Lineker as England's all-time top scorer in the competition.

With seven points, England leads group L. Their opponent in the Round of 32 will be known later. Panama failed to get any points and finished last in the group.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States between June 11 and July 19. The matches are staged in 16 cities across the three countries. This is the first FIFA World Cup featuring 48 teams instead of the previous 32-team format.

The top two teams in each of the 12 groups, along with the eight best third-place finishers, will advance to knockouts. The event’s reigning champion is Argentina.