England and Croatia secured their passage into the World Cup round of 32 on Saturday, with Harry Kane breaking the national goalscoring record for the tournament in a composed 2-0 victory over Panama at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Jude Bellingham broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute before Kane doubled the lead five minutes later, taking his World Cup tally to 11 and surpassing Gary Lineker’s previous England record of ten. The Three Lions dominated proceedings to finish top of Group L with seven points.
In the group’s concurrent fixture at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Croatia overcame Ghana 2-1 to claim second place with six points. Petar Sučić put the Croatians ahead in the 31st minute, but Derrick Luckassen restored parity for Ghana in the 73rd minute. However, Nikola Vlašić struck seven minutes from time to restore Croatia’s advantage, and they held on through a tense finale to confirm their progression.
Ghana, who ended their campaign with four points, were eliminated alongside pointless Panama, despite a spirited performance that briefly threatened to derail Croatia’s qualification hopes. England’s perfect defensive record in the group underscores their status as serious contenders, while Croatia’s resilience once again proved decisive on the grand stage.
