The England national team continued its suffering in the second round matches of the major tournaments, after drawing 0-0 with Ghana in the 2026 World Cup, renewing a digital phenomenon that has plagued it in recent years despite its strong start in the tournament.

The England national team began its campaign in the World Cup, which was held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, with a remarkable victory over Croatia, 4-2, before collided with an organized Ghanaian defense that forced it to a scoreless draw in the second round of the twelfth group competitions.

England national team coach Thomas Tuchel praised the performance of the Ghanaian national team, describing the match as a “battle between eight attackers and ten defenders,” in reference to the defensive approach adopted by the opponent.

For his part, captain Harry Kane said that the Ghana national team succeeded in reducing England’s threat, while Jude Bellingham considered that the best player in the match award should have gone to one of the Ghanaian players in recognition of their defensive performance.

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) highlighted what it described as the “second round complex,” noting that England did not achieve victory in its second match during four consecutive major tournaments, as it tied with Denmark in Euro 2020, with the United States in the 2022 World Cup, then with Denmark again in Euro 2024, before the last draw against Ghana in the 2026 World Cup.
Despite the continuation of this series, Bellingham downplayed the importance of the matter, stressing that obtaining four points from the first two matches remains a good start in the group stage.

In a related context, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) indicated that the England national team did not succeed in achieving two consecutive victories at the beginning of its participation in the World Cup only three times, in the 1982 editions in Spain, 2006 in Germany, and 2018 in Russia.

The English national team will conclude its group stage campaign against Panama, in a match that Tuchel stressed would not be easy, despite the theoretical differences between the two teams.