Thomas Tuchel’s England are now pencilled in to face Ecuador in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup, after the South Americans’ epic comeback win over Germany in the early hours of Friday morning. But the picture is far from settled, with the Three Lions still needing to confirm top spot in Group L when they face Panama on Saturday night.
England have four points from their opening two games and currently occupy first place in the group. If the schedule stays as it stands, they would take on Ecuador on Wednesday 1 July in Atlanta, kick-off at 5pm UK time. That fixture, however, is not yet confirmed. There remains a possibility that Ghana could leapfrog England to the top of Group L, which would dramatically change who Tuchel’s men meet in the knockout stage. Ghana are scheduled to face Portugal next Friday in a midnight kick-off.
“England are set to face Ecuador in the World Cup round of 32, but Ghana could still change everything.”
Harry Kane, England’s top scorer at the tournament so far, has already looked ahead to the Panama game and indicated that squad rotation is likely. “I think the boss will be clear on his decisions, it wouldn't surprise me if he made some changes anyway and just kept the team fresh,” Kane said. “He knows, as well as all of us, there is an extra game as well, so a long way to go, and we are in a good spot.”
Kane added that Panama would present a different challenge: “Panama, we expect probably a bit of a different game, so whoever plays in that one will be ready, will be energetic from the start, and probably won't face as much of a low block. There will be periods where we have to break it down for sure, but that's what the squad is for. There are another six games to go, hopefully, so a lot of football to be played, and whoever's on the pitch, the guys will be ready.”
The 2026 World Cup, hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, is the biggest in history with 48 teams. The BBC is showing 54 matches live, including the final on 19 July, while all 92 games are available on BBC Sounds and every match is covered on the BBC Sport website and app. Meanwhile, four round of 32 matches have already been confirmed following results on Thursday and Friday morning. For England, the path ahead remains uncertain – but Saturday night against Panama will go a long way to deciding who they face next.