England aim to top Group L against Panama

England face Panama in the final round of Group L at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, with a second chance to top the group after their draw with Ghana in Boston.

Having beaten Croatia in their opener, England were held to a goalless draw by a disciplined Ghana side set up shrewdly by Carlos Queiroz. Even so, a win on Saturday would see Thomas Tuchel's team finish top of Group L and reach the last 32 — barring a major goal-difference swing involving Ghana.

The two nations meet for the second time at this tournament, having first done so on Panama's World Cup debut in 2018. England won that game 6-1, with Harry Kane scoring a hat-trick. Panama, however, have evolved impressively since then.

Managed by former Barcelona striker Thomas Christiansen, Panama climbed to 29th in the FIFA rankings last year and currently sit 34th. Having lost both of their games, the Central American side are already eliminated, yet their performances arguably merited more. Though they will bow out after Saturday, they are expected to keep playing with the same fearlessness.

The statistics paint a favorable picture for England. Panama have failed to keep a clean sheet in all nine of their matches in 2026 and have conceded fewer goals than their expected goals against figure (2.90 xGA) suggests. A Panama side that leaves space could hand England's attack openings. Kane, after missing a clear chance against Ghana, will also be eager to close the gap on Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race; the captain, who scored twice against Croatia, will want to maintain his form. Sports Illustrated's prediction: 0-2 England.

England have been hit by injuries. Tino Livramento is out for the tournament, Reece James (hamstring) will miss this match, and Declan Rice may not be risked given both a calf issue and the threat of suspension. In attack, Marcus Rashford is expected to start in place of Anthony Gordon, while Bukayo Saka should make his first start of the tournament. For Panama, Cecilio Waterman could lead the line ahead of José Fajardo.

Predicted lineups:
Panama (3-4-3): Mosquera; Blackman, Ramos, Córdoba; Murillo, Harvey, Martínez, Andrade; Bárcenas, Waterman, Rodríguez.
England (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Spence, Konsa, Guéhi, O'Reilly; Anderson, Bellingham; Saka, Rogers, Rashford; Kane.

Image: Sports Illustrated