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England 2-1 Ghana: Bellingham Settles Top-of-Group Tie

Jun 23, 2026

England supporters at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, where England beat Ghana 2-1 on June 23 to move clear at the top of Group L

For an hour it was going to script. England kept the ball, Harry Kane headed them in front, and Ghana were being held at a comfortable distance. Then Mohammed Kudus cut inside from the right and bent a shot into the far corner, and the top of Group L was a live question again. It stayed that way for a quarter of an hour, until Jude Bellingham did what he keeps doing and picked his moment. His low finish on 73 minutes put England back in front, and they got the job done, 2-1. Top of the group with a game to spare — though not as comfortably as the first half had promised.

Kane met a Saka cross on 23 minutes for the opener. Kudus levelled on 58 with the goal of the night, and for fifteen minutes afterwards Ghana looked the likelier side to score again. Bellingham settled it on 73, driving through the middle and finishing low. Both teams had won their openers, so the points carry weight: England move to six and clear at the top, Ghana stay on three.

How did England get past a stubborn Ghana?

The opening half-hour suggested a routine afternoon. England worked the flanks, kept Ghana penned in, and went ahead on 23 minutes when Bukayo Saka stood up a cross to the near post and Harry Kane got there a step ahead of his marker to head down and in. Ghana had barely been out of their own half.

The second half was a different game. Ghana pushed up, started winning the loose balls, and on 58 minutes Mohammed Kudus produced the best moment of the night, collecting possession on the right, cutting inside and curling a shot the goalkeeper got nowhere near. For the ten minutes that followed it was Ghana, not England, asking the questions — and the favourites who looked rattled.

Did Harry Kane keep his scoring run going?

He did, and he is making it look ordinary. The header took him to three goals in two games, after the brace that sank Croatia in England's 4-2 opener. There was nothing spectacular about it: a centre-forward reading Saka's delivery a fraction quicker than the defender beside him and finishing the chance he was always going to get.

That is rather the point. England spent the build-up to this tournament arguing over whether they could win without leaning on their captain, a question we picked through when the final squad was named. Two games in, they have not had to find out. Kane is fit, sharp, and scoring the goals he has always scored.

Was Bellingham the difference again?

For the second match running, the decisive moment was his. With the score level and Ghana growing in belief, Jude Bellingham took the game into his own hands, collecting the ball in midfield and carrying it into the gap Ghana left as they pushed bodies forward, then rolling a low finish into the bottom corner on 73 minutes. Against Croatia he struck within two minutes of the restart; this time he waited for the game to crack open and punished it.

After that, England were happy to manage the night out. Ghana kept coming, with Kudus and Antoine Semenyo pulling defenders out of shape, but the clear openings dried up. England's coaching staff will not have enjoyed how cleanly Kudus was allowed to equalise, or the wobble that followed. What they have is a side that keeps coming up with an answer when the game tightens.

What does the win mean for Group L?

England top Group L on six points, the most they could have taken from two matches, and need only a point against Panama to make a last-32 place mathematically certain. On the evidence of how they have handled the group, that should be a formality.

Ghana go home with nothing and plenty to like. They took the game to one of the group's heavyweights, scored its best goal, and lost only because England had the better player on the night. Three points still leave their fate in their own hands: beat Croatia in the final round and the Black Stars are through. England, for their part, finish the night where they wanted to be, with Kane scoring and Bellingham again the one to settle it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the score in England vs Ghana at World Cup 2026?

England 2-1 Ghana. England won their Group L second-round match at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough on June 23, 2026. Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham scored for England; Mohammed Kudus replied for Ghana.

Who scored in England 2-1 Ghana?

Harry Kane headed England in front on 23 minutes from a Bukayo Saka cross. Mohammed Kudus equalised for Ghana on 58 minutes with a low finish from the edge of the box, before Jude Bellingham won it on 73 minutes.

Did Harry Kane score against Ghana?

Yes. Harry Kane headed the opening goal on 23 minutes, attacking a Bukayo Saka delivery at the near post. It was his third goal of the tournament after his brace against Croatia, keeping the England captain's scoring run going into the final group game.

Has England qualified for the World Cup 2026 knockouts?

All but. The win took England to six points from two games, top of Group L, and on the brink of a last-32 place with one round still to play. A point against Panama in the final round would mathematically confirm it.

What does the result mean for World Cup 2026 Group L?

It sends England clear at the top of Group L on six points, ahead of Ghana on three. Ghana, beaten despite a spirited display, must now get a result against Croatia in the final round to be sure of going through.

Data sources

Published: Jun 23, 2026