England vs Panama: The best bets after Tuchel’s wake-up call
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Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane both scored in England's first World Cup game of 2026. Simon M Bruty / Getty Images
By Graham RuthvenJune 26, 2026 11:45 am EDT UpdatedThe positivity of England’s 4-2 win over Croatia to open their World Cup campaign didn’t last long. Six days, to be exact.
That’s how long Thomas Tuchel’s team waited to produce a lifeless and insipid performance against Ghana that prompted many to re-evaluate the Three Lions’ chances of winning the whole thing this summer.
Perhaps a goalless draw should have been expected considering this was the fourth tournament in a row that England have had a 0-0 scoreline in their second match.
They have bounced back from this sort of thing before and are still considered among the favourites to lift the World Cup at 13/2.
And yet anyone who watched England fail to break down Ghana surely has concerns over the creativity in Tuchel’s ranks.
Despite having 79 per cent possession, England generated just two Big Chances and could only muster three shots on target. This was the largest possession share of any team in a match not to win in World Cup history.
Ghana were quite comfortable holding them at arm’s length, and while Carlos Queiroz deserves some credit for setting up his team to defend well in a low block, England simply did not do enough to move the ball more quickly or disrupt the opposition. They were desperately lacking ideas.
This could lead to some changes for England’s final Group L game against Panama.
England's World Cup marketplace findNico O’Reilly, for example, could return to the lineup after being dropped to the bench for the encounter with Ghana. The Manchester City player hit the crossbar with a header and brought some chaos to England’s attacking play.
Bukayo Saka could be in line to make his first start of the tournament so far. The Arsenal winger is still searching for full fitness, but would surely be an upgrade on Noni Madueke, who suffered through a poor performance in the 0-0 draw against Ghana. Saka operates on another level down the right side and is 8/11 to score or assist against Panama.
Harry Kane was a long way from his best in his last outing, touching the ball just 19 times. This was the lowest number of touches he has ever registered in a major tournament match for England and so Tuchel must harness Kane in a more effective way. The 32-year-old is 9/1 to win the Golden Boot at this World Cup.
Marcus Rashford could replace Anthony Gordon in the forward line following two underwhelming performances by the former Newcastle United winger. Rashford is 7/5 to score at any time while Eberechi Eze is 9/5. Eze represents a slightly different direction on the left side for Tuchel.
Before the stalemate against Ghana, England had scored seven goals from their past two games.
The Three Lions are 15/8 to respond emphatically by scoring over 3.5 goals against Panama at MetLife Stadium and 4/6 to score over 2.5 goals. Considering Panama haven’t kept a clean sheet at this World Cup so far, there could be some value in this.
Panama’s expansive style of play could cause England some problems if they leave too much space in behind. While Thomas Christiansen’s side are already out of the World Cup, they showed enough in their performance against Croatia to suggest they could hurt their next opponents. Over 0.5 Panama goals is 11/10.
At 17/1 to beat England, it’s fair to frame Panama as gross outsiders to finish their World Cup campaign with a win. The Three Lions put six goals past the same opponents at the 2018 World Cup in the only meeting between the two teams to date and have the attacking talent to register a similar scoreline in New Jersey on Saturday.
Tuchel won’t have the luxury of resting players for the knockout rounds considering England haven’t secured top spot in Group L. They have the benefit of the superior head-to-head record over Croatia, but a victory for Zlatko Dalić’s side against Ghana would put some pressure on Kane and co.
The 0-0 draw against Ghana might have halted England’s momentum for the time being, but there’s good reason to believe they will find their groove again before the knockout rounds. Only France, Spain and Argentina currently have shorter odds to win this summer’s World Cup.
With some tweaks, Tuchel could get England on the straight and narrow again. Panama will pose them many of the same issues that stumped England against Ghana, giving Tuchel and his players an instant opportunity to show they have learned lessons from what went wrong in Boston. It could be a catalyst for the rest of their World Cup.
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
