England urged to roll with World Cup challenges as Bellingham, Kane, Rice shine
The World Cup has hit that awkward third-act in the group stage. Legs are heavy, tempers are shorter, and for England, the mood is somewhere between calm assurance and a low, nagging irritation.
A goalless draw with Ghana in Boston has not derailed their campaign, but it has stripped away the early euphoria. No goals, no knockout place secured, and more questions than Gareth Southgate – or Thomas Tuchel, in this alternate England universe – would have liked.
Jude Bellingham, man of the match and emotional barometer of this side, called it “second game fever”. England’s fourth straight draw in the second match of a major tournament, stretching back to Euro 2020. The pattern is now a habit.
His message? Roll with it. Learn, reset, move on.
England stuck in neutral – but not panicking
The 0-0 with Ghana was not a collapse, just a grind. England controlled long spells, limited Ghana’s counter-attacks and still should have stolen it late on when Harry Kane, of all people, lashed over from seven yards.
Kane, 32 now and still the reference point for everything England do in the final third, is not losing sleep over it. He knows the life of a No 9 better than anyone.
“It’s part of a striker’s life,” he said, shrugging off the miss. “Nine times out of 10 I score.” This time, he didn’t. And suddenly the talk of “over-reliance” on Kane flickered back into view.
Both Kane and Eberechi Eze pushed back on that narrative. Eze, bright and unflustered in midfield, insisted England’s mentality has not shifted an inch.
“We set out to win anyway, so it changes nothing for us,” he said. “You can’t be too high, you can’t be too low.” The point, he argued, all but books England’s place in the last 32. Top spot in Group L will be theirs if they better Ghana’s result against Croatia when they face Panama on Saturday.
The performance, though, has given Tuchel plenty to chew on.
Rice walking a tightrope, fitness and suspension fears
Declan Rice walked out of Boston Stadium with his leg strapped and his name in the referee’s book. One knock, one yellow, two different headaches.
The Arsenal midfielder, one of England’s better performers against Ghana, will be assessed along with Reece James before the Panama game. Early indications suggest no long-term concern, but both could be rested.
Rice’s booking carries a sharper edge. Under FIFA rules, two yellows in the group stage trigger a one-match ban. If he is carded again against Panama, he misses England’s second-round tie. Single yellows are wiped after the groups, but England have no such luxury yet.
Tuchel must now decide: risk his midfield anchor to lock in top spot, or rotate and trust the depth that everyone keeps insisting is there.
Bellingham at centre of growing flashpoint
While Bellingham drove England on the pitch, he also found himself at the centre of a brewing World Cup row off it.
Images of the midfielder covering his mouth while talking to Ghana’s Jordan Ayew triggered controversy under a new FIFA regulation for this tournament. The law allows referees to show a red card if a player hides their mouth during a confrontation with an opponent.
Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron has already felt the full force of that rule, becoming the first player sent off for it after a heated exchange with Turkey, following a VAR review.
Bellingham, though, escaped sanction. FIFA sources indicated the exchange with Ayew was a friendly chat, not a flashpoint. No animosity, no card.
Paraguay are furious. Reports in Spain say their federation has lodged an official complaint with FIFA, arguing the rule is being applied inconsistently after Almiron’s dismissal left him suspended for their decisive clash with Australia.
England, unintentionally, now sit in the middle of a disciplinary storm they did not start.
England fans shine as off-field mood stays bright
On the streets, the picture is very different. Around 30,000 England supporters packed into Boston’s Foxborough stadium, and the head of UK Football Policing could barely have been more complimentary.
No arrests, no major incidents, and praise from local bar owners and US authorities. Chief Constable Mark Roberts hailed the “excellent” behaviour of travelling fans, echoing similar scenes from Dallas earlier in the tournament.
The atmosphere, he said, has been “great throughout the city”. For once at a World Cup, the story around England’s followers is about noise, colour and reliability – not chaos.
Scotland’s date with Brazil – and maybe England
While England wrestle with rhythm and fine margins, Scotland are staring at a night that could redefine their footballing history.
Steve Clarke’s side face Brazil in Miami, a fixture dripping with romance and peril. Beat the five-time champions and Scotland are through, potentially even as group winners if Morocco slip against Haiti. A draw, and four points should be enough to bank a spot as one of the best third-placed teams.
Even a narrow defeat might still see them sneak into the last 32. A heavy one, and the dream is probably gone.
Carlo Ancelotti is taking nothing for granted. The Brazil coach called Scotland “fighters” and name-checked Scott McTominay and John McGinn as experienced threats. “Easy games at the World Cup were finished a long time ago,” he warned.
He will also have Neymar back. The forward has yet to feature in this tournament because of a calf problem but has trained fully and is “fit and able and ready to play”, according to Ancelotti. Raphinha, injured against Haiti, misses out.
The Tartan Army, meanwhile, have turned Miami into a travelling carnival. Kilts on the beaches, bagpipes on the boardwalks, and a city charmed by their noise. Local police have spoken of an “unforgettable atmosphere” as Scottish fans roll from Boston to South Beach in search of a breakthrough that has eluded them at major finals for generations.
If the permutations fall kindly, Scotland and England could meet in the round of 16 in Mexico City on July 6. At present, with England top of Group L and Scotland third in Group C, the paths are aligned.
But that only holds if England finish the job against Panama and Scotland take something – or at least avoid a hammering – against Brazil. One misstep and the old rivalry may have to wait.
Ronaldo roars back, Germany refuse to ease up, Argentina stay ruthless
While England wrestled with Ghana, Cristiano Ronaldo chose his moment to announce he is “back”.
Under pressure after a poor showing in Portugal’s opener against DR Congo, the 39-year-old hit a brace in a 5-0 demolition of Uzbekistan, with Bruno Fernandes creating his second and admitting it was “important for our captain to score”.
Portugal now face Colombia in Miami to decide who tops Group K, with Ronaldo once again the focal point – and the lightning rod.
Germany, already through, are treating their final group game against Ecuador like a final. Midfielder Nadiem Amiri made it clear there will be no easing off. Momentum matters, he said, and they “owe it to the other sides” to play full tilt.
Argentina, too, are in no mood to coast. Lionel Scaloni’s team have already won Group J, but the coach has no intention of wrapping Lionel Messi in cotton wool against Jordan in Dallas. Messi, with five goals in two games, wants to play at least 45 minutes. Scaloni is likely to rotate elsewhere, with Cristian Romero out until the last 16 at best.
Across the tournament, the big hitters are sharpening their edges. England, by contrast, are trying to rediscover theirs.
Weather, rules and an uneasy sense of déjà vu
There is another shadow over the final round of group games: the weather. France’s match with Iraq has already been stretched by storms, finishing almost four hours after kick-off. If lightning or heavy rain disrupts any of the last fixtures, FIFA may not be able to keep the traditional simultaneous kick-offs.
That opens the door to manipulation fears that football has tried to shut since the “Disgrace of Gijón” in 1982, when West Germany and Austria played out a 1-0 result that suited them both and eliminated Algeria.
Regulations insist final group matches must kick off together “unless stipulated otherwise by FIFA (e.g. in cases of force majeure)”. The clause is there. The storm clouds, literally and figuratively, are gathering.
Witch doctors, ticket fury and a World Cup that won’t sit still
This World Cup refuses to stay in its lane. One moment, it’s tactical tweaks and xG. The next, a Ghanaian witch doctor claims to have hexed Harry Kane in Boston and now vows to “free” him so he can score against Panama.
Nana Kwaku Bonsam, who calls himself the “most powerful spiritualist in the whole world”, insists he stopped Kane finding the net against Ghana and will now lift his spell. In any other tournament cycle, it would be a throwaway curiosity. Here, it somehow feels on-brand.
Off the pitch, Gordon Brown has launched a blistering attack on FIFA over “extortionate” ticket prices, calling for an inquiry and warning that ordinary families are being priced out. The former prime minister, spotted at Scotland’s opener against Haiti, claims World Cup final tickets are “30 or 40 times” the price of the Euro final in Germany.
World football’s showpiece is booming, but the cost of following it is biting harder than ever.
Where does this leave England?
For all the noise, England’s situation is simple. Beat Panama and they top Group L. Draw, and they almost certainly qualify anyway. Lose heavily, and the smooth path to the last 16 begins to twist.
Bellingham wants them to ride out the turbulence. Kane trusts the next chance will fall and this time, will go in. Rice has to tread carefully, one mistimed tackle away from a ban.
The margins are thin, the stakes rising. England are not in crisis. They are not cruising either. They are somewhere in between, in that awkward space where a tournament can tilt one way or the other in a single, decisive night.
