England started off their campaign on a massive note, as they completely decimated Croatia by a margin of 4-2. As expected their striker and captain Harry Kane was the star of the show as he netted a brace. However, in the very next game against Ghana they failed to carry forward the momentum, as they played out a 0-0 draw against Ghana.
England currently have 4 points on the board from three games. In order to secure their spot as the top-placed team in the Group L, they would need to win this game, and hope that their goal difference stays above Ghana if they win their match against Croatia. However, if Crotia wins against Ghana, then England would need to win to top the group.
Panama, on the other hand, has already been eliminated from the FIFA World Cup 2026, having lost their first two games against Ghana and Croatia. Hence, they would hope to get something from this game in order to salvage some pride.