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Panama and England meet on Saturday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford to close out World Cup Group L, with the two sides in very different positions.
England top the group on four points after a 4-2 win over Croatia and a 0-0 draw with Ghana, and a draw will be enough to go through, though they want top spot. Panama have already been eliminated after narrow 1-0 defeats to Ghana and Croatia and have nothing but pride to play for.
The only previous meeting between the nations was a 6-1 win for England at the 2018 World Cup. Finishing top would likely steer the Three Lions away from a tougher last-32 tie, giving Thomas Tuchel every reason to take the game seriously.
Here is how we expect the teams to line up.
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England projected starting 11
(4-2-3-1, right to left): 1. J. Pickford (GK) — 25. D. Spence, 6. M. Guehi, 2. E. Konsa, 3. N. O'Reilly — 16. K. Mainoo, 8. E. Anderson — 20. N. Madueke, 10. J. Bellingham, 11. M. Rashford — 9. H. Kane
- Injured: R. James (hamstring), D. Rice (calf, doubt)
- Suspended: None
- On yellow card: D. Rice
Reece James and Declan Rice sustained injuries against Ghana and Tuchel is unlikely to risk either. James in particular is at risk of a longer spell out after his latest hamstring concern, but Rice's calf issue is not thought to be significant.
Djed Spence could switch flanks with Nico O'Reilly coming in at left-back, and Kobbie Mainoo may replace Rice. The big debate is whether Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford start, providing support to captain Harry Kane. Saka's niggling Achilles issue means he may not be risked, but Rashford could come in for the out-of-sorts Anthony Gordon.
Panama projected starting 11
(5-4-1, right to left): 22. O. Mosquera (GK) — 23. A. Murillo, 3. J. Cordoba, 13. J. Ramos, 16. A. Andrade, 2. C. Blackman — 6. C. Martinez, 11. Y. Barcenas, 14. C. Harvey, 7. J. L. Rodriguez — 17. J. Fajardo
- Injured: A. Carrasquilla (adductor)
- Suspended: None
- On yellow card: C. Blackman, C. Harvey
Panama remain without Adalberto Carrasquilla due to an adductor problem, while captain Anibal Godoy is short of fitness after just one minute so far.
Thomas Christiansen is expected to stick with a pragmatic 5-4-1. Former Marseille full-back Michael Amir Murillo is the most recognisable name in the back five, with Jose Fajardo leading the line as the Canal Men finally chase a first goal of the tournament.
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Panama vs. England predictions, betting odds
Panama have defended well in both defeats, and England's struggles against Ghana are a warning. But the gap in quality is large, and a fresher England should find a way through to seal top spot.
- Score prediction: Panama 0-2 England
Panama vs. England World Cup rosters
Here are the names on the Panama and England World Cup rosters, as named for the 2026 tournament. Caps and stats are correct as of the announcement dates.
England World Cup squad
MORE: A complete breakdown of England's 2026 World Cup squad
Head coach: Thomas Tuchel
| GK | 13 | Dean Henderson | Crystal Palace (Premier League, England) | 29 | 4 |
| GK | 1 | Jordan Pickford | Everton (Premier League, England) | 32 | 82 |
| GK | 23 | James Trafford | Manchester City (Premier League, England) | 23 | 1 |
| DEF | 15 | Dan Burn | Newcastle (Premier League, England) | 34 | 6 |
| DEF | 12 | Trevoh Chalobah | Chelsea (Premier League, England) | 26 | 1 |
| DEF | 6 | Marc Guehi | Manchester City (Premier League, England) | 25 | 27 |
| DEF | 24 | Reece James | Chelsea (Premier League, England) | 26 | 22 |
| DEF | 2 | Ezri Konsa | Aston Villa (Premier League, England) | 28 | 18 |
| DEF | 3 | Nico O'Reilly | Manchester City (Premier League, England) | 21 | 3 |
| DEF | 26 | Jarell Quansah | Bayer Leverkusen (Bundesliga, Germany) | 23 | 1 |
| DEF | 25 | Djed Spence | Tottenham Hotspur (Premier League, England) | 24 | 4 |
| DEF | 5 | John Stones | Manchester City (Premier League, England) | 31 | 87 |
| MID | 8 | Elliot Anderson | Nottingham Forest (Premier League, England) | 23 | 7 |
| MID | 10 | Jude Bellingham | Real Madrid (La Liga, Spain) | 22 | 46 |
| MID | 21 | Eberechi Eze | Arsenal (Premier League, England) | 27 | 16 |
| MID | 14 | Jordan Henderson | Brentford (Premier League, England) | 35 | 89 |
| MID | 16 | Kobbie Mainoo | Manchester United (Premier League, England) | 21 | 12 |
| MID | 4 | Declan Rice | Arsenal (Premier League, England) | 27 | 72 |
| MID | 17 | Morgan Rogers | Aston Villa (Premier League, England) | 23 | 13 |
| FWD | 18 | Anthony Gordon | Newcastle United (Premier League, England) | 25 | 17 |
| FWD | 9 | Harry Kane | Bayern Munich (Bundesliga, Germany) | 32 | 112 |
| FWD | 20 | Noni Madueke | Arsenal (Premier League, England) | 24 | 10 |
| FWD | 11 | Marcus Rashford | Manchester United (Premier League, England) | 28 | 70 |
| FWD | 7 | Bukayo Saka | Arsenal (Premier League, England) | 24 | 48 |
| FWD | 22 | Ivan Toney | Al Ahli (Pro League, Saudi Arabia) | 30 | 7 |
| FWD | 19 | Ollie Watkins | Aston Villa (Premier League, England) | 30 | 20 |
Panama World Cup squad
Head coach: Thomas Christiansen
| GK | 1 | Luis Mejia | Nacional (Primera Division, Uruguay) | 35 | 56 |
| GK | 22 | Orlando Mosquera | Al Fayha (Pro League, Saudi Arabia) | 31 | 48 |
| GK | 12 | Cesar Samudio | Marathon (Liga Nacional, Honduras) | 32 | 5 |
| DEF | 16 | Andres Andrade | LASK (Bundesilga, Austria) | 27 | 50 |
| DEF | 2 | Cesar Blackmon | Slovan Bratislava (First League, Slovakia) | 28 | 40 |
| DEF | 3 | Jose Cordoba | Norwich City (Championship, England) | 25 | 32 |
| DEF | 15 | Eric Davis | Plaza Amador (Liga de Futbol, Panama) | 35 | 107 |
| DEF | 4 | Fidel Escobar | Saprissa (Liga Promerica, Costa Rica) | 31 | 99 |
| DEF | 5 | Edgardo Farina | Pari Nizhny Novgorod (First League, Russia) | 24 | 18 |
| DEF | 26 | Jorge Gutierrez | Deportivo La Guaira (Liga FUTVE, Venezuela) | 27 | 18 |
| DEF | 25 | Roderick Miller | Turan Tovuz (Premier League, Azerbaijan) | 34 | 50 |
| DEF | 23 | Amir Murillo | Besiktas (Super Lig, Turkey) | 30 | 94 |
| MID | 11 | Yoel Barcenas | Unattached (No club) | 32 | 104 |
| MID | 8 | Adalberto Carrasquilla | UNAM Pumas (Liga MX, Mexico) | 27 | 73 |
| MID | 10 | Ismael Diaz | Club Leon (Liga MX, Mexico) | 29 | 57 |
| MID | 20 | Anibal Godoy | FC San Diego (MLS, United States) | 36 | 159 |
| MID | 14 | Carlos Harvey | Minnesota United (MLS, United States) | 26 | 28 |
| MID | 6 | Cristian Martinez | Ironi Kiryat Shmona (Premier League, Israel) | 29 | 66 |
| MID | 19 | Alberto Quintero | Plaza Amador (Liga de Futbol, Panama) | 38 | 141 |
| MID | 7 | Jose Luis Rodriguez | FC Juarez (Liga MX, Mexico) | 27 | 70 |
| MID | 21 | Cesar Yanis | Cobresal (Liga de Futbol, Panama) | 30 | 56 |
| FWD | 17 | Jose Fajardo | Universidad Catolica (Serie A, Ecuador) | 32 | 68 |
| FWD | 24 | Azarias Londono | Universidad Catolica (Serie A, Ecuador) | 24 | 11 |
| FWD | 9 | Tomas Rodriguez | Saprissa (Liga Promerica, Costa Rica) | 27 | 13 |
| FWD | 11 | Cecilio Waterman | Universidad de Concepcion (Liga de Primera, Chile) | 35 | 55 |
Where to watch Panama vs. England
- TV channel: Fox
- Live stream: fubo, Fox One, Fox Sports app/website
This match will be broadcast nationally on Fox in the United States with streaming options available on its dedicated platforms.
The best place to catch the match is on streaming service fubo, with new customers able to sign up for a FREE trial.
Fubo offers a free trial for new subscribers, so you can try the service before you buy. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox and 100+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)
Here is how to watch the match in some of the other major territories:
| Canada | TSN1, TSN4, TSN5, RDS | TSN+, RDS app |
| UK | ITV1, STV Scotland | ITVX, STV Player |
| Australia | SBS | SBS On Demand |
| India | Unite8 Sports 1 | ZEE5 |
English (US)