England and Ghana played to a 0-0 draw in their Group L match at the 2026 World Cup on June 23 in Foxborough, Massachusetts [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Despite dominating possession with 78.8%—the highest ever recorded in World Cup history for a team failing to score—England could not break down Ghana’s disciplined defense [1, 2, 3, 6].

England coach Thomas Tuchel praised Ghana’s defensive effort as one of the most committed, physical, and robust displays he has witnessed. "I think full respect (to Ghana) and they defended with a lot of determination, with a lot of discipline," Tuchel said [1]. Ghana set up in a deep, organized 4-5-1 formation designed to absorb pressure and frustrate the English attack [7, 8, 9].

Tuchel noted that England created enough set-piece chances but lacked clinical finishing. "We had enough set-pieces to decide the match but we were not clinical enough," he said [1]. England captain Harry Kane missed a key chance late after a rebound from a header by substitute Nico O’Reilly hit the crossbar. Tuchel insisted Kane will not miss such a chance again: "Ninety-nine out of 100 he will convert this chance" [1].

England struggled to find creativity and variety to break through Ghana’s defensive block [7, 8, 9, 6]. Players like Anthony Gordon struggled, while Bukayo Saka brought some urgency after replacing Gordon late [7, 8, 9]. Midfielders Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson provided control but little incisiveness [7, 8, 9]. Rice urged fans to stay positive, saying: "We have one more group game to top the group, so we have to be positive" [7]. Kane echoed the sentiment: "We’re in a great position" [5].

The match included controversy as Ghana contested a non-awarded penalty after a foul by Ezri Konsa on Prince Kwabena Adu, a decision by referee Said Martínez that angered the Ghana side [5]. Tuchel dismissed talk that the team needed a wake-up call, stressing: "We don’t need a wake-up call. Everyone is alert and everyone is fully committed" [5].

England now have 4 points from 2 Group L matches and are close to securing a place in the knockout stage [1, 2, 3, 5]. They will play their final group match against Panama on June 27, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 5].