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England held by Ghana
England and Ghana played out a surprise goalless draw in a World Cup match at Boston Stadium, with England frustrated by Ghana’s determined low block and a late chance for Nico O'Reilly that hit the post before Harry Kane smashed the rebound over.
“England failed to confirm their spot in the last 32 of the World Cup with Tuesday's lacklustre 0-0 draw against Ghana, although they are still in a strong position to go through from Group L”
The draw left both teams on four points heading into the evening’s Croatia-Panama match, and the result “all but guarantees both of these nations safe passage to the knockout stages,” according to The New York Times.
Declan Rice told the BBC that “Loads of top nations drew their first game,” adding that England “need to stay positive, keep going, recover before the next match, and that's what we'll do.”
The New York Times also noted that England have been involved in 13 goalless draws at the World Cup, listing England 0-0 Ghana (2026) among them.
In Foxborough, the Boston Globe described England’s 18-2 shot advantage and 79 percent possession, but said Ghana’s defense kept the match scoreless and England’s best chances came late, including Nico O’Reilly’s header off the bar and Harry Kane’s volley over.
Reactions and ratings
The BBC’s Alex Howell assessed the England player ratings in Boston, writing that Jordan Pickford “did not have a save to make and barely had the ball at his feet either as England pushed for the win.”
In the same BBC report, Howell said Declan Rice’s impact was limited by Ghana’s deep-lying approach, with Rice “tried to make things happen but impact with the ball limited by the deep-lying Ghana side.”
The Boston Globe’s live account said Ghana’s fans were “dancing and celebrating at the final whistle,” while England’s supporters watched a match where England controlled the tempo but “only really threatened in the final 20 minutes or so.”
L'Équipe’s match notes highlighted Benjamin Asare as a top performer, giving him a 7 and describing the decisive save on Saka’s left-footed shot at the edge of the penalty area in the 86th minute.
L'Équipe also rated Harry Kane a 3, stating that “the English center-forward did not exist in this match,” and said Kane wasted a shot from 15 meters on his only late chance.
Group implications and next
With the goalless draw setting up the next round of Group L action, The New York Times said two Group L matches were being played at the same time on Saturday afternoon, with Croatia facing Ghana while England faced Panama.
The New York Times also said England move on to four points after two matches, while qualification was “not be mathematically secured yet,” and it added that England’s position in Group L “remains favourable.”
USA Today reported that the draw sends England and Ghana on four points into the evening’s Croatia-Panama match, and it said England’s plus-two goal differential would give it the slight edge to advance as group winner.
In the BBC’s player assessment, the report framed England’s failure to score as a lack of impact rather than a collapse, with the starting XI including Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, and Declan Rice all rated, and the substitutes Bukayo Saka and Nico O'Reilly both receiving ratings.
The Boston Globe’s recap tied the stakes to the next match, noting that England may not need a win today and that “a draw against Ghana and a win over Panama on Saturday would likely be enough to win the group,” while England’s late push still fell short.
