England’s tough World Cup path after a scoreless draw with Ghana explained
England’s 0-0 draw with Ghana isn’t a disaster, but the Three Lions might now face a tougher path in the World Cup. After their exciting 4-2 win against Croatia, Thomas Tuchel’s team couldn’t get a second win in Boston and were held by Ghana.
With four points from two games, England still looks set to reach the knockout stages. However, finishing second in the group is now a real possibility, and that would bring a different challenge. Finishing second means playing their round of 32 match at midnight in Toronto on Friday, July 3, against the runners-up of Group K. Colombia, whom they met in 2018, currently hold that spot. Portugal might take second place too, after a strong 5-0 win over Uzbekistan, helped by two goals from Cristiano Ronaldo.
A bigger challenge could come in the round of 16, where England might face Spain, the European champions, in a rematch of Euro 2024—if Spain tops Group H. If England beats Spain, the United States might await in the quarter-finals, with France possibly next in the semi-finals. This route would keep England on the opposite side of the bracket from reigning champions Argentina, who they would only meet in the final.
Things could be easier if England wins against Panama and tops the group. That would mean playing their round of 32 match at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Wednesday, July 1, likely against DR Congo, who is one of the best third-place teams from Group K. Mexico, playing at home in Mexico City, could be the round of 16 opponent—though that’s a match England would prefer to avoid. Possible quarter-final opponents could be Brazil or Norway, with Argentina likely in the semi-finals. In this scenario, England would only face France, Germany, or Spain if they reach the final on July 19.
The round of 32 matchups aren’t set yet, and things can still change in the group stages. The BBC has a live knockout bracket showing the latest projected games, which include Germany vs Scotland, France vs Sweden, South Korea vs Switzerland, and Netherlands vs Morocco. Fans can also look forward to Spain vs Austria, Japan vs Brazil, and a South American clash between Argentina and Uruguay.
Here’s the full draw so far:
– Germany vs Scotland
– France vs Sweden
– South Korea vs Switzerland
– Netherlands vs Morocco
– Colombia vs Ghana
– Spain vs Austria
– United States vs Algeria
– Egypt vs Czech Republic
– Brazil vs Japan
– Ivory Coast vs Norway
– Mexico vs Cape Verde
– England vs DR Congo
– Argentina vs Uruguay
– Australia vs Iran
– Canada vs Belgium
– Portugal vs Paraguay
England will be back in action on Saturday night against Panama at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. They previously beat Panama 6-1 in the 2018 World Cup when they were in the same group.