England have officially booked their place in the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup after results in other groups fell in their favour on Friday night.

Thomas Tuchel’s men sit atop Group L with four points, following an impressive opening victory over Croatia and a goalless draw against Ghana on Tuesday evening.

Due to the expanded 48-team format of the World Cup, England’s qualification for the round of 32 was confirmed even before they play their final group-stage match against Panama on Saturday.

The Three Lions are assured of finishing within the top three of Group L, while Panama have already been eliminated following defeats to Ghana and Croatia, and the head-to-head tiebreaker sealing their fate.

With four points on the board, England only needed at least four of the twelve third-placed teams to finish on three points or fewer to guarantee progression.

By Friday night, two teams had already done so — South Korea in Group A and Scotland in Group C — both left depending on other results to determine their fate.

Later, Senegal hammered Iraq 5-0 to end third in Group I with three points, while Uruguay were knocked out of Group H after a 1-0 defeat to Spain. These outcomes ensured England’s place in the knockout phase was confirmed before their final outing in Group L.

Despite qualification, England still have work to do if they wish to secure top spot in the group. They will need to defeat Panama and hope their result surpasses Ghana’s against Croatia.

Since the clash between England and Ghana ended 0-0, goal difference will decide the group winner if both finish level on points. Ghana could overtake England with a significant win over Croatia.

An England victory, combined with either a draw between Ghana and Croatia or a Croatian win, would cement England’s position at the top of Group L.

Should that happen, they will face a third-placed side emerging from one of Group E, Group I, Group J, or Group K in the round of 32. As of now, several teams remain in contention to meet the Three Lions in that scenario.

If England finish second in their group, they will play the runner-up from Group K — a position that will be decided between Colombia and Portugal. Should Colombia avoid defeat, Portugal are likely to finish second, provided DR Congo do not record a massive victory over Uzbekistan.

Reaching the last-16 could potentially pit England against Group A winners Mexico at the iconic and high-altitude Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

Should they overcome that formidable test, Group C champions Brazil could await them in the quarter-finals.

Further down the line, Argentina — buoyed by Lionel Messi’s tally of five goals so far — may well stand as a possible semi-final opponent for England.