England move towards the World Cup knockouts after a 0-0 draw with Ghana, with Thomas Tuchel insisting the team are not dependent on Harry Kane for goals despite struggling to convert dominance into chances in their second Group L match.
The result leaves England on four points from two games and still well placed. A win against Panama in New Jersey secures first place, provided Ghana do not beat Croatia by a large margin on the same day, with Opta’s supercomputer giving England an 81% chance of topping Group L.
Tuchel rejected the idea that England’s attack leans too much on Kane, instead comparing the situation with other leading nations and highlighting the forward’s importance while stressing that the wider squad also carries responsibility in the final third.
“I mean, does Argentina rely too heavily on Messi and France rely too heavily on Mbappe? It’s just what it is, Tuchel said. To rely on Harry, it’s just a natural thing because he loves the responsibility and he takes it. He was not involved as much as we would like, but it was just so, so narrow. We rely on Harry because we can, because he’s our forward, but we don’t over-rely on him.”
Kane’s quiet performance drew attention, as the England captain had only 19 touches, the lowest he has ever recorded across a full 90 minutes at a major tournament for England, yet still produced the clearest opportunity when missing a rebound after Nico O’Reilly’s header struck the crossbar.
19 – Harry Kane had 19 touches against Ghana, the lowest total he has ever recorded in a major tournament match for England where he played 90+ minutes. Isolated. pic.twitter.com/e3PYJDy0TyOptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 23, 2026">
England controlled the ball throughout, recording 78.8% possession, their highest figure in any World Cup match on record and also the largest share for any team failing to score in the tournament since 1966, yet they could not create enough clear openings against Carlos Queiroz’s compact defence.
Tuchel’s side took 19 shots without scoring, their highest total in a World Cup game since another goalless final group fixture against Nigeria in 2002, whereas Ghana registered just two attempts, the joint-lowest by any side at the 2026 competition so far, reflecting a cautious game plan.
Kane’s personal attacking numbers underlined England’s frustration, with the captain contributing 0.47 expected goals from the team’s 1.36 total, while Ghana produced only 0.17 expected goals, showing how rarely England’s opponents threatened despite their conservative approach in and around the penalty area.
| Statistic | England | Ghana |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 78.8% | 21.2% |
| Shots | 19 | 2 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 1.36 | 0.17 |
| Harry Kane touches | 19 | - |
England World Cup records and Thomas Tuchel reaction
The stalemate extends England’s World Cup record to 23 draws overall, including 13 goalless matches, with both figures now the highest recorded by any nation in the history of the tournament, underlining how often England have been involved in tight group-stage contests.
Tuchel highlighted Ghana’s deep defensive structure and insisted the draw does not signal a setback, explaining that England were the side pushing hardest for a winner while needing to remain balanced across a long competition that still has one group game remaining.
"We don't need a wake-up call. Everyone is alert and everyone is fully committed. There can be no doubt. I can assure that to everyone, Tuchel said. There was no overconfidence in our game. Not at all. If there was anything, there was maybe in some moments a bit of over-cautiousness. It is what it is. But we have four points out of two matches and still a match to play. We are able to win our last match and we will try to win it, of course. It is very important that the highs don't get too high and the lows do not get too low. And today is not a low, it was just a difficult match. It's a long tournament. The boys tried everything. They played with the right energy. I know it's a very different game. Sometimes, in this case, one team tries to play against this deep block. You don't find the spaces and it's difficult for you to create chances. It can be difficult to watch. It's not as exciting as two teams trying to win a more open game. We always try to entertain our fans, but it takes two to tango."
England now turn attention to Panama knowing victory will secure progression and very likely first place in Group L, with Tuchel trusting that Kane and the rest of the attack can convert their territorial dominance into goals against a team unlikely to defend as deep as Ghana.
Story first published: Wednesday, June 24, 2026, 13:47 [IST]
About the Author
