England labour past Panama to qualify for last 32 as group winners
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- Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane scored as England beat Panama 2-0 in their Group L fixture to book a place in the World Cup last 32.
- Thomas Tuchel's England side finished top of Group L with the victory, advancing as group winners rather than relying on other results.
Why it matters: England advance to the World Cup knockout stage as Group L winners, with Bellingham and Kane providing the decisive goals. The headline characterization of the win as "laboured" — echoed by BBC Sport's "huge relief" framing — signals the performance was far from convincing despite the clean-sheet margin.
