English press raise alarm over England's shaky World Cup group display

England secured a 0‑2 victory over Panama to clinch first place in Group L at the World Cup, guaranteeing progression to the knockout stage. The win, however, has ignited criticism from the English press over the team's overall performance. warned that England will not win the World Cup if they continue playing in the same manner. "England will not win the World Cup if they keep playing like this," the newspaper wrote. The Athletic described the performance as still unstable, noting that England surrendered many chances, more than in the match against Ghana. "It feels like there is still something unstable. They gave away a lot of chances, more than against Ghana," the outlet said.

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The BBC highlighted Jude Bellingham as the standout, noting he scored the opening goal after a corner delivered by Bukayo Saka. "Bellingham was the absolute standout for England and provided the opening goal with a fine finish after Saka's corner," the broadcaster reported. The Independent identified two major issues: a reliance on Bellingham, set‑piece situations and a record‑breaking Harry Kane, and a lack of space creation around the opponent's penalty area while conceding space defensively. "England suddenly creates no space around the opponent's box and gives away a lot of space around their own," the newspaper added.

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All criticism is directed at the side of Thomas Tuchel, whose tactics are questioned ahead of the knockout round. The media suggest that without tactical adjustments England may struggle against top‑class opponents in the next stage.