England and Croatia secured favorable results on Matchday 3 of the 2026 World Cup, locking down their progression to the Round of 32. The tournament brackets are rapidly taking shape with confirmed matchups, while the best third-place standings also continue to be finalized.
All signs indicate that the next opponent for England—who locked up the top spot in the group—at the start of the knockout stages will be Senegal, a matchup scheduled for July 1. On Croatia’s side, after advancing in second place, their next opponent would momentarily be Portugal, scheduled for July 3. However, the final matchups are still pending the results of the Group K fixtures.
England secured seven points after defeating Panama 2-0, featuring appearances on the scoresheet from their marquee stars, Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane. In the other fixture, where second place in the group was being heavily contested, Ghana found an 80th-minute equalizer to tie the match. However, a late-game response from Croatia was enough to secure a 2-1 victory, allowing them to advance as the second-place side with six points.
Group L standings
| Pos./ Teams | PTS | GP/GD (GF) |
| 1. England | 7 | 3/4 (6) |
| 2. Croatia | 6 | 3/0 (5) |
| 3. Ghana | 4 | 3/0 (2) |
| 4. Panama | 0 | 3/-4 (0) |
Harry Kane #9 of England reacts during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group L match.
Ghana managed to advance to the Round of 32, as the team closed the group stage with four points and locked in its permanence in the best third-place standings. The tournament dream is not over for them, standing out as an African national team that hopes to pull off a massive surprise in a World Cup where those from their confederation are truly shining. Panama are out of the World Cup with 0 points.
For the moment, indications suggest that their upcoming matchup would be against Colombia, scheduled for July 4. However, that specific encounter remains pending Colombia’s final group stage match against Portugal, where first place in that sector will be decided. The ultimate leader of that group will face Ghana.
England arrive with an on-fire Kane
Harry Kane has become England‘s all-time leading scorer at the World Cup after scoring in the Three Lions’ final group stage game vs Panama. Kane nodded home from a Jude Bellingham cross to make it 2-0 — taking him to 11 World Cup goals, one beyond Gary Lineker’s previous national record of 10.
It also took him to 18 goals in major international tournaments for England. The England captain had drawn level with Lineker after scoring twice in the 4-2 win over Croatia to open the campaign. This incredible form makes the star striker a more than complicated rival for absolutely anyone to face.
