FOXBOROUGH – On Tuesday England had a chance to establish itself as one of the elite teams in this World Cup.
Facing off against No. 73 Ghana, No. 4 England was coming off a four-goal performance against Croatia, the 11th-ranked team in the world.
Rather than build on that attacking onslaught, the Three Lions whimpered against the Black Stars, drawing 0-0.
Still, England holds the top spot in Group L entering the final round of group matches, leading Ghana on goal differential.
Ghana’s defense stifles Lions
Following a dominant attack in the opening match against Croatia, including 22 total shots and four goals, England struggled to break down Ghana’s defense.
The Black Stars were happy to let the Three Lions have the ball, but refused to show any lanes on net. The result in the first half was nearly 80 percent possession for England and 328 passes completed to Ghana’s 78.
In terms of shots, Thomas Tuchel’s side took just six in the first frame and none on target.
The first shot on target for England didn’t come until the 56th minute. From there, the chances increased but the goals did not for England.
The Three Lions finished the contest with 79 percent possession, and 19 shots but no scores to show for it.
Rain doesn’t dampen attendance
Despite constant rain and an afternoon start time, fans still filled up Gillette for the World Cup. In terms of attendance, all four of Foxborough’s matches so far have been a success.
Scotland’s matches against Haiti and Morocco were each sell-outs with over 64,000 fans. Iraq and Norway were nearly there with 63,106 in attendance.
On Tuesday, 63,938 attended the match at Gillette.
Among those in the crowd were Englishmen David Beckham and Kit Harington. The band Mumford & Sons, which played at Fenway Monday night was also in attendance.
How this impacts Group L:
Following the draw, all teams in the group retain their places in the standings. England and Ghana each won their opener but because England scored more goals, it remains in first on goal differential.
Croatia and Panama will play at 7 p.m. in Toronto.
Group L
| GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 4 |
| Ghana | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Panama | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Croatia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
Cards:
Declan Rice received the first yellow card of the match in the 41st minute. Ghana’s Iñaki Williams picked up the second, receiving it in the 60th after tackling Anthony Gordon.
Next up:
England will finish group play on June 27 when it faces Panama at 5 p.m. in New Jersey. Ghana’s final group-stage match will be on the same date and at the same time in Philadelphia against Croatia.
More World Cup 2026 Coverage
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- World Cup: Ghana to start Thomas Partey against England despite criminal charges
- Could Scotland come back to Boston for World Cup knockout stages? Yes, but it’s complicated
- How Monday’s World Cup results impacted who US could play in knockout stage
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