David Beckham buried his head in his hands as Harry Kane blazed a late winner over the bar, condemning England to a frustrating 0-0 draw with Ghana at Boston Stadium. The Three Lions, who had demolished Croatia 4-2 in their World Cup opener, failed to repeat that performance against a resolute Ghana side that made clear a single point was their sole ambition.
England's finest chance arrived in the dying minutes. Nico O'Reilly rattled the crossbar with a header, and the rebound dropped to Kane — the striker who had netted twice against Croatia and scored 60 goals for Bayern Munich last season. But he blazed his shot well over, leaving Beckham in disbelief and the stadium stunned.
“England were held to a 0-0 draw by Ghana as Harry Kane missed a late sitter, leaving David Beckham stunned.”
"You go through games like that," Kane told BBC Sport after the final whistle. "I was waiting for an opportunity like that to fall my way, and it was a game as a striker where you are just waiting for the ball to bounce. It did, and I just couldn't quite get over the ball. Yeah, I'd back myself to score that more often than not, but it is what it is, and I've been a striker long enough to know they don't always go in, so I have to accept it."
The draw was not without controversy. England supporters jeered Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey, while Jude Bellingham was embroiled in a heated confrontation with the Ghana coaching staff at halftime. Despite failing to spark a winning performance, Bellingham was awarded Player of the Match. England were also fortunate to escape without conceding a penalty in the second half, which could have turned the group standings upside down. Bukayo Saka was denied a stunning goal as his long-range left-footed effort was kept out.
Adding to England's concerns, Declan Rice was spotted limping after the match. The Arsenal midfielder has spoken openly about his ongoing fitness struggles since arriving at the World Cup camp, giving Thomas Tuchel a new injury worry ahead of the third group-stage fixture.
Despite the draw, England remain top of Group L. Kane remained upbeat: "Look, we wanted the win, but we take the point, and we're still in a great position in the group." But with Tuchel facing questions about his side's inability to break down stubborn opponents, the Three Lions will need to rediscover their attacking spark to secure progression.