England, Croatia and Ghana secured qualification for the FIFA World Cup knockout stage following the conclusion of their group fixtures on Saturday.
England produced a composed second-half display to defeat Panama 2-0 and maintain their strong run in the tournament.
After a closely contested first half ended without goals, the Three Lions eventually broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute through Jude Bellingham, whose finish gave England the control they had been searching for.
Captain Harry Kane extended the lead five minutes later to seal the victory and confirm England’s place in the next round.
Panama remained organised for long periods and frustrated England’s attack but struggled to create clear opportunities to stage a comeback.
The result ensured England advanced as group winners and continued their quest for a first World Cup title since 1966.
In the other key fixture, Croatia recorded a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Ghana in a tense encounter that ended with both nations progressing to the knockout phase.
Croatia opened the scoring in the 31st minute through Petar Sucic after controlling much of the first half.
Ghana responded strongly after the break and restored parity in the 73rd minute when D. Luckassen found the back of the net to revive the Black Stars’ hopes.
However, Croatia regained the advantage in the closing stages as Nikola Vlasic struck in the 83rd minute to hand his side victory.
Despite the defeat, Ghana’s performance and overall group standing proved enough to secure qualification to the next round.
The results confirmed England as group leaders, with Croatia and Ghana also advancing to the round of 32, while Panama exited the competition after a spirited campaign.