Alan Shearer, the former England striker, has criticized forwards Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka for their performances in England's 2-0 victory over Panama in their final 2026 World Cup group stage match. Shearer stated that despite their involvement, the players "haven't done enough with it" during the first half.
England manager Thomas Tuchel appeared visibly frustrated on the sidelines during the opening 45 minutes, with his attention focused on Rashford and Saka, who were making their first start of the tournament after the previous draw against Ghana. The match, held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, saw England struggle to break down Panama's defense in the first half, a recurring issue in their tournament thus far.
"It's been really disappointing from the first 10 minutes when we moved the ball with purpose and I expected us to carry that on but that hasn't been the case," Shearer commented on BBC Radio 5 Live. He noted that while the players were involved in attacking plays, their final execution was lacking.
Former England players Gary Neville and Roy Keane also voiced their concerns. Neville observed a "lack of subtlety, creativity and innovation" from the wide players, describing their final actions as "really poor." Keane added that England seemed to be "dragged down to their level" and that their "top players haven't turned up."
Jude Bellingham was instrumental in securing the win, scoring a goal and providing an assist for Harry Kane in an improved second half. Bellingham has been a standout performer for England throughout the tournament, earning his third player-of-the-match award.
Despite the criticisms, England emerged as group winners and will advance to the knockout stages. They have secured a more favorable path in the draw, avoiding potential matchups with other strong European teams. Manager Tuchel expressed optimism, stating, “There is more to build on. You have to get so many details right and it’s an aggressive approach we take. The tournament starts again now, it’s knockouts. Now we collect our strengths, collect our energy, build on what we have, the team spirit, the fighting spirit, the belief, and we will step up.”
