​Kane became England’s all-time top World Cup goalscorer as his and Jude Bellingham’s goals in the second half secured a 2-0 win over Panama, allowing England to top Group L. Bellingham diverted Bukayo Saka’s corner into the net with a leg kick after a largely unconvincing opening period, and soon after his accurate cross was headed home by Kane to double the lead. England left the New York-New Jersey Stadium with maximum points, earning a round-of-32 clash against either Senegal or DR Congo, while Panama finished bottom of the group without a win or a goal.
In the buildup, Thomas Tuchel made several changes, with Morgan Rogers, Saka, Nico O’Reilly, and Jarell Quansah starting, while Panama’s coach Thomas Christiansen also altered his lineup, bringing in Tomás Rodríguez, Fidel Escobar, and Jorge Gutiérrez; seven Panamanian players remained from their 6-1 defeat to England in 2018. Early efforts from Marcus Rashford and Saka put pressure on Panama’s goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera, who had a busy night. England’s Jordan Pickford was called into action when José Luis Rodríguez fired in from distance. Rashford came closest in the first half with a free-kick that narrowly missed, while Elliot Anderson’s cross found the head of a late-running Winger, which went just over.
Shortly after the break, a scramble in the Panama six-yard box followed as Córdoba’s clearance deflected off Andrade, keeping the ball alive for Kane to pounce in the ensuing moment—though the incident briefly appeared to be whistled for a Panama free-kick. The breakthrough soon came when Bellingham fired in from Saka’s corner on the six-yard line, demonstrating England’s proficiency from set-pieces. Kane then doubled the advantage with a headed finish from a lofted cross by Bellingham, marking Kane’s 11th World Cup goal across four tournaments and surpassing Gary Lineker’s record at the New York-New Jersey Stadium.
Panama did not capitulate, producing several half-chances and showing resilience despite trailing, and a late 1v1 finish by José Farjado was ruled offside by the linesman, preserving the 0-2 final score. England now prepare to face either Senegal or DR Congo in the knockout round.