Soccer
How can England qualify for the Last 32 of the World Cup and who could they face?
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Just like that, we have reached the final round of group games at the 2026 World Cup, where the remaining teams who have a chance of making the Round of 32 will be keenly aware of the job in hand.
After their second round of fixtures, only seven teams have already made it through to the knockout stages, meaning there is still an awful lot to play for in the third and final group phase clashes.
One of those teams is England, whose place in the knockout round is completely assured yet, after they failed to beat Ghana on Tuesday.
The Three Lions laboured to a goalless draw against the Africans in what was a bit of a reality check following the impressive display against Croatia.
Rice: Ghana draw not a setback for England
How can England qualify for the Last 32?
England can secure their path to the knockout rounds with a win against Panama on Saturday, which would also see them top the group.
A point would also be enough to go through, but they could miss out on top spot if there is a winner in the game between Ghana and Croatia.
Even a defeat for England would still mean at worst, they'd end up in the third-place lottery rankings.
Group L
| P | W | L | D | GD | PTS | |
| England | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Ghana | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Croatia | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | -1 | 3 |
| Panama | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | -2 | 0 |
Remaining fixtures: England vs Panama, Ghana vs Croatia - Saturday 27 June 10pm BST.
Andrew Katsampes/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images
Who could England face in the knockout round?
If they top the group, then the Three Lions go into the bottom half of the draw and means they'll face one of the third-placed sides from Groups E, H, I, J or K.
Currently, it pits them against Cape Verde, but after the final round of games it could be one of Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Cape Verde, Uruguay, Senegal, Algeria or DR Congo.
A second-placed finish, then it will be a game against the winners of Group K, most likely to be Colombia or Portugal.
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