Panama and England meet to close out group play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup under different circumstances. First place in Group L is still up for grabs between England and Ghana, level on four points for now, but England hold tie breakers, while Panama are eliminated from knockout round contention, while Croatia can still win the group. The two sides will wrap up group play at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Saturday.
England are through to the next round, but a win would likely seal first place. They'll have to get the job done without Reece James, who is officially ruled out for the final group game with a hamstring injury. Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson are also questionable but would be impactful players if given the start. Harry Kane leads the squad with two goals and could launch himself back into the Golden Boot race in the final group game.
There's no sugar coating Panama's state. They have zero World Cup wins since the 2018 tournament and are playing for national pride at this point. Midfielder Adalberto Carrasquilla's campaign has been marred by injury, and he's still in doubt for the final group game. Still, the squad will be motivated to put together a respectable performance after suffering a 6-1 loss against England in 2018.
How to watch Panama vs. England
Date: Saturday, June 27 | Time: 5 p.m. ET Location: MetLife Stadium -- East Rutherford, NJ TV: Fox (Eng), Telemundo (Spa) | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free) Odds: Panama +1250 | Draw +700 | England -600
Panama vs. England predicted starting lineups
Panama: Orlando Mosquera; Michael Amir Murillo, Jose Cordoba, Jiovany Ramos, Andres Andrade, Cesar Blackman; Cristian Martinez, Yoel Barcenas, Carlos Harvey, Jose Luis Rodriguez; Cecilio Waterman
England: Jordan Pickford; Djed Spence, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, Nico O'Reilly; Elliot Anderson, Kobbie Mainoo, Noni Madueke, Jude Bellingham, Marcus Rashford; Harry Kane
Keep up with the World Cup standings here.
Panama vs. England pick, prediction
England's injury concerns are valid; they have the talent to make a defensive statement against a struggling Panama. Pick: Panama 0, England 2
Check out our World Cup expert predictions.
Golazo 48 Nations: Follow the World Cup all summer long
Golazo 48 Nations is your all-access destination for the World Cup, with wall-to-wall coverage across the CBS Sports Golazo Network. From the first whistle to the final recap, the entire Golazo crew will guide fans through every moment of the tournament.
Each day begins with Morning Footy, setting the stage with the latest news, storylines, and previews ahead of kickoff. From there, Golazo Matchday and Golazo Matchnight deliver reaction and analysis as the action unfolds. Fans can also tune in for coverage of USMNT matches with the Call It What You Want team, as well as reaction to other marquee matchups. The day wraps with Scoreline, a comprehensive nightly recap of every result, moment, and storyline from across the tournament. Altogether, the Golazo Network will deliver up to 12 hours of programming each matchday, available across the Golazo Network and its YouTube channel.
Add CBS Sports on Google Join the Conversation comments
