Preview: Panama vs England – Latest News, Lineups, Absences | 2026 World Cup (06/27/2026)

Last update at 26 June, 2026⏲️ Reading time: 6 minutes

Group stage clash between Panama vs England.

Panama vs England face off in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.

Preview, team news, head to head, probable line ups and where to watch Panama vs England at the 2026 FIFA World Cup

At 22:00 BST on Saturday, 27 June, England face Panama at New York New Jersey Stadium in the final round of Group L fixtures at the 2026 World Cup. England sit top of the group on four points after beating Croatia 4-2 and drawing 0-0 with Ghana, while Panama have lost both of their matches and are already eliminated.

Thomas Tuchel's side know that they are unlikely to exit the World Cup no matter what happens, but that victory would give them an excellent chance of winning the group. Panama, meanwhile, will be looking to bow out with a positive performance and avoid ending the tournament without a point or a goal.

There are plenty of potential permutations in Group L and each brings a different set of subsequent scenarios. England have a good chance of winning the group but could still finish second or even qualify in third, depending on various results.

Latest news: absences, form, team news

Panama have suffered narrow defeats in both of their matches so far, losing 1-0 to Ghana and 1-0 to Croatia. While Thomas Christiansen's side have been competitive, they have struggled in front of goal and are yet to find the net in the tournament.

England's campaign has been a mixed one so far. An impressive 4-2 victory over Croatia was followed by a frustrating goalless draw against Ghana, where Tuchel's side dominated possession but struggled to create clear chances.

Panama

The Central Americans have little left to play for in terms of qualification, but they will be eager to go out on a high and maintain their pride. They will be without the injured Adalberto Carrasquilla, who was an unused sub in the first two games.

England

Tuchel is monitoring the fitness of several players ahead of England’s final group game and may choose to rest some players. Reece James has a hamstring complaint, while Declan Rice may need rested, but Bukayo Saka could start the game after his recent achilles problem has resulted in limited minutes so far.

Teams H2H: head-to-head stats

These nations have met only once before, when England recorded a comprehensive victory at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Harry Kane scored a hat-trick as the Three Lions ran out 6-1 winners in Nizhny Novgorod.

Previous meetings:

24/06/2018: England 6-1 Panama (World Cup 2018)

Predicted line-ups

Thomas Tuchel has indicated he will not be making wholesale changes for England’s final Group L game with the Three Lions keen to ensure they win the group. However, a few changes are expected, especially as the scheduling becomes tougher in the knockout stages.

Position	–Panamá	–Inglaterra
Goalkeeper	Orlando Mosquera	Jordan Pickford
Defenders	Amir Murillo Jiovany Ramos José Córdoba Andrés Andrade César Blackman	Ezri Konsa John Stones Marc Guéhi Nico O’Reilly
Midfielders	Cristian Martínez Carlos Harvey Yoel Bárcenas José Luis Rodríguez	Elliot Anderson Kobbie Mainoo Bukayo Saka Jude Bellingham Anthony Gordon
Forwards	José Fajardo	Harry Kane

Tactical analysis: can England be the first team to score more than once against Panama?

Panama have generally been organised defensively during the tournament, but their inability to create chances has left them vulnerable whenever they concede first. Against England, they are likely to sit deep, stay compact and attempt to frustrate Tuchel's side before looking for opportunities on the counter-attack.

England's challenge will be to move the ball quicker than they did against Ghana. The Three Lions often looked predictable in that match and struggled to create space in the final third. With Panama expected to defend in numbers, England may need greater width and more direct running from players such as Saka to unlock the defence.

Key players to watch

With England expected to win, Harry Kane will be hoping he can add to his tally in his bid for the Golden Boot, while Panama will be hoping for more from Juárez winger José Luis Rodriguez.

José Luis Rodriguez (Panama)

With Carrasquilla sidelined by the adductor injury that has kept him out throughout the tournament, Panama's attacking responsibility increasingly falls on Rodríguez. The winger has started both World Cup matches and is one of the side's most direct outlets, capable of carrying the ball over distance and creating chances in transition. If Panama are to trouble England, Rodríguez's pace and willingness to run at defenders could be key.

Harry Kane (England)

Kane scored a hat trick when these two sides met in Russia in 2018, but Panama have been defending better at this edition of the tournament. England’s talisman will be hungry for more, however.

Where to watch Panama vs England in the UK and Ireland

Panama vs England in Group L of the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 22:00 BST on Saturday, 27 June at New York New Jersey Stadium.

Broadcast coverage in the UK and Ireland for Panama vs England is as follows:

United Kingdom: ITV1 and ITVX.
Republic of Ireland: RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player

The game between Ghana and Croatia will kick off at the same time and England fans may want to keep an eye on how that game is going to know what their team needs to do in the game in order to win the group or qualify.

Market insights and probability predictions

According to the latest 2026 World Cup odds, England are the clear and undeniable favourites, with their win probability ranging from around 67% to over 80% depending on the model. Both teams to score is rated surprisingly highly at almost 50% given Panama have yet to score at the tournament

The most likely results if you’re going for a correct score prediction are 1-0 and 2-0 to England. That is in line with the expectations of under 3.5 goals total in the game, which is rated at over 67%.

With odds likely to fluctuate as more team news emerges before kickoff, many bookmakers are also expected to offer special promotions and tournament-specific offers throughout the competition.

Given the high likelihood of an England win, combination bets are likely to be popular for this fixture. If you’re looking at the goalscorers, meanwhile, Harry Kane is the favourite to score first and score anytime.

Our Panama vs England prediction and odds are now available on BetBrothers. Find out which team has the better chance of winning and discover the best opportunities to place your 2026 World Cup bets below 👇