Tuchel made five changes to his line-up following the Ghana encounter, notably choosing to rest Declan Rice from the midfield. Marcus Rashford and Saka got their first starts of the FIFA World Cup on the wings.

Rashford forced a good save from Panama goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera inside the opening 10 minutes, and later headed over an Elliot Anderson cross before curling a free-kick just past in first-half stoppage time.

Panama did also threaten once in the opening period, when Jordan Pickford had to get down to stop a Jose Luis Rodriguez shot at his near post.

England were pedestrian before the break, but the match started to open up for them following the restart.

Jose Cordoba nearly forced an own goal when his clearance came off teammate Andres Andrade and went narrowly over, and Mosquera then denied Kane.

 

A goal was beginning to feel inevitable and it arrived on 62 minutes as Bellingham held off Jorge Gutierrez at Saka's corner to turn the ball in.

That was his second goal of the competition, and he then turned provider for Kane to make sure of the win.

Jose Fajardo then thought he had a late consolation for Panama, but his effort was disallowed for offside.

 

It has probably been England's least remarkable group-stage showing at a FIFA World Cup since 2014, when they went out in the first round. This time, however, they are safely through.

Topping the section is important, as it means they avoid a possible clash with Spain in the last 16.

Instead they will head to Atlanta for a tie next Wednesday, July 1 against a third-placed team. Win that, and they will be off to Mexico City in the last 16, possibly to play Mexico, in the Azteca Stadium where they lost to Diego Maradona's Argentina in 1986.