Panama v England: World Cup 2026 prediction, line-ups & tips

England head into the final night of FIFA World Cup 2026 group-stage action in Group L with a straightforward brief: beat an already-eliminated Panama at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford and seal first place. Thomas Tuchel's side sit on four points, level with Ghana but ahead on goal difference, and a win here would guarantee they top the group and choose their path into the round of 32. Panama, who have lost both their matches without scoring, had their tournament ended four days ago when Croatia beat them 1-0 on Ante Budimir's second-half finish.

England's campaign has been, in their time-honoured tradition, a study in contrast. The 4-2 victory over Croatia on matchday one was encouraging, Harry Kane scored twice, Jude Bellingham added another, and Marcus Rashford sealed it from the bench in the 85th minute. Then came the 0-0 draw with Ghana on matchday two, which wiped away most of that goodwill. Kane missed the best chance of the game and Bellingham was withdrawn early, with Tuchel's side unable to break down a Ghana team ranked 64th in the world. "Ghana did a great job," Bellingham admitted afterwards.

Tuchel himself has pushed back against any sense that Panama should be taken lightly. "I can tell everyone that Panama will not be easy," he warned ITV. "They are maybe the most unknown name but they were very, very good against Ghana." The results suggest otherwise, Panama have been outscored 2-0 across two games and mustered an xG of just 0.64 per match, but England's 0-0 with Ghana showed Tuchel has reason to guard against complacency.

Panama coach Thomas Christiansen, the Denmark-born former Spain international who has led the Central Americans since July 2020, has tried to find positives in defeat. "Surely people have realised that Panama have great players," he said after the Croatia loss. "Hopefully, they have the doors open to go to better leagues and better teams." Christiansen has guided Panama to two Gold Cup knockout campaigns but this World Cup has been a step too far. His side average just 2.5 shots on target per game here, against an xG against of 1.48, they are being outplayed in most phases.

England's own numbers are considerably more imposing. They average 20.5 shots and 7 shots on target per match, carrying an xG of 2.28 per game. Their one clean sheet came against Ghana, and with Panama yet to score in the tournament, a second is well within reach.

Tuchel confirmed on Friday that Reece James will not travel to New Jersey after picking up a hamstring problem during the Ghana draw. "Reecey has a minor hamstring issue," Tuchel said. "He was not able to train the last two days. He is now in an accelerated rehabilitation programme. We have hopes for the next match." However, Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson, both doubts earlier in the week, trained fully on Friday. "Elliot Anderson and Declan Rice were both in full training today," Tuchel said. "They both had minor issues after the match but had enough time to recover. So everyone but Reece James is available and ready to go."

Tuchel faces a choice at right-back with James absent and Spence a doubt, Ezri Konsa is the most likely option to slot in. In attack, the Panama game is the moment Tuchel flagged as the target for Saka's return to the starting XI. The Arsenal winger has come off the bench in both matches and, if fit, would add width and directness that England lacked against Ghana. Rashford, who featured late against Ghana, is pushing for a start on the left.

Predicted line-ups for Panama v England

Panama may shuffle their deck with elimination confirmed. Christiansen could look to blood fringe players and give Londono his first start. England are expected to ring a couple of changes but keep their first-choice spine.

Panama: Mosquera; Murillo, Ramos, Córdoba, Blackman; Martínez, Harvey, Bárcenas, Rodríguez; Waterman, Fajardo

England: Pickford; Konsa, Stones, Guéhi, O'Reilly; Anderson, Rice; Saka, Bellingham, Rashford; Kane

Panama v England kicks off at 22:00 BST on Saturday, 27 June at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey. In the UK, the match is live on ITV1, with coverage starting at 20:45 BST. Free streaming is available via ITVX and the ITVX app. Scottish viewers can also watch on STV and the STV Player.