England dominated the ball against Ghana on June 23 at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and still couldn’t find the net. The Group L encounter ended 0-0, a result that frustrated England far more, given they held approximately 78.8% of possession across 90 minutes.

The goalless draw was England’s 23rd in World Cup history, the most of any nation in the tournament’s existence.

Both teams now sit on identical records in Group L: one win, one draw, zero losses. The final group stage matches will determine who advances and who books early flights home from American soil.

England turned 78.8% of the ball into exactly zero goals. The performance will raise questions about whether their system, clearly designed to suffocate opponents with possession, has an actual plan for breaking down deep defensive blocks.

With both England and Ghana on four points from two matches, goal difference, goals scored, and head-to-head records could all come into play depending on results. England’s inability to score here could prove costly on tiebreakers if the group goes down to the wire.

Ghana’s situation is arguably more comfortable psychologically. Four points with one game to play is a strong position for a team that arrived at this match with confidence following a narrow victory over Panama, secured via a late goal from Caleb Yirenkyi.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the first to feature 48 teams and is co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. England, under the management of Thomas Tuchel, featured a lineup including Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, and had opened the tournament with a victory against Croatia before facing Ghana.