Kane makes history as England grind past Panama 2-0 to win Group L

England beat Panama 2-0 to top Group L, with Harry Kane heading home his 11th World Cup goal to move past Gary Lineker as England's all-time leading World Cup scorer. Jude Bellingham volleyed the opener from a Bukayo Saka corner and set up Kane. A laboured display sets up a Round of 32 tie with DR Congo.

It was not pretty, but it was enough, and it came with a slice of history. England laboured past a stubborn Panama 2-0 in New Jersey to top Group L, with Harry Kane moving past Gary Lineker as England's all-time leading World Cup goalscorer in the process. Thomas Tuchel's heavily-rotated side did the job, even if the manner left questions.

Panama, organised in a deep low-block, frustrated England for an hour. The Three Lions, with first World Cup starts handed to Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Morgan Rogers, huffed and puffed but starved Kane of service through a flat first half.

The breakthrough finally came on sixty-two minutes, and it was a moment of real quality. Saka whipped in a sharp corner and Jude Bellingham, shaking off a heavy grapple from defender Jorge Gutiérrez, adjusted his body to slice a brilliant volley past Orlando Mosquera. The deadlock was broken, and the floodgates cracked.

Five minutes later Bellingham turned provider. He clipped a precise cross from the left, and Kane climbed above Andrés Andrade to head firmly home. It was the captain's eleventh World Cup goal, one more than Lineker, and it established a comfortable 2-0 lead. Panama pushed for a consolation, but José Fajardo's close-range finish was ruled out for a marginal offside.

England top the group with seven points and a clean progression, though Tuchel will know that a flat, cautious first hour against a side of Panama's level will not be good enough against the heavyweights. Bellingham's goal-and-assist, a second player-of-the-match display of the group stage, was the standout bright spot.

Behind them, Croatia claimed second by beating Ghana, with the Black Stars squeezing through as a best third-placed team after their earlier goalless draw with England. Panama, who had pushed Croatia close too, exit in fourth without a point or a goal.

For Kenya, the storyline is delicious. England travel to Atlanta to face DR Congo in the Round of 32, and with the Leopards adopted wholesale by East African fans, this is the Three Lions cast firmly as the villains. Kenyan EPL loyalties may split between Saka, Kane and Rashford, but when it comes to the knockout, the heart is green. England wako na nyota, lakini sisi tuko na Leopards: England have the stars, but we are with the Leopards. Our Europe round-one verdict had England among the favourites; now they meet a fairytale determined to spoil the party.