Predicted England vs Ghana lineups were published hours before kickoff at Gillette Stadium on June 23, and by full time both had been rewritten. The actual XIs Thomas Tuchel and Carlos Queiroz sent out produced a goalless draw that left England on top of Group L on goal difference and Ghana level with them on four points. Al Bawaba published both predicted XIs at 04:47 GMT on the morning of the match.
Both managers arrived on the back of opening wins. England had beaten Croatia 4-2 in Texas on June 17, with Harry Kane equalling Gary Lineker’s England World Cup scoring record at 10 goals. Ghana had edged Panama 1-0 in Toronto on Caleb Yirenkyi’s 95th-minute strike. That goal, at 90+5 minutes, was the latest regulation-time strike in Ghana’s World Cup history.
The Predicted XIs That Hit the Page That Morning
Both teams’ predicted XIs were widely circulated on the morning of June 23. The Group L page with full match lineups shows what Tuchel and Queiroz actually sent out at Gillette Stadium.
Tuchel was widely expected to keep faith with the back four that opened against Croatia. Jordan Pickford was in goal behind Reece James, Ezri Konsa, John Stones, and Nico O’Reilly. Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson were paired in central midfield, with Jude Bellingham as the most advanced of the three. Noni Madueke and Anthony Gordon flanked Kane.
Queiroz’s projected XI for the Black Stars lined up with Benjamin Asare in goal after his second-half appearance against Panama. The back four was Marvin Senaya, Jonas Adjei, Jerome Opoku, and Gideon Mensah. Up front, Jordan Ayew led the line with Antoine Semenyo and Ernest Nuamah either side.
| Position | England | Ghana |
|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Jordan Pickford | Benjamin Asare |
| Right-back | Reece James | Marvin Senaya |
| Centre-back | Ezri Konsa | Jonas Adjei |
| Centre-back | John Stones | Jerome Opoku |
| Left-back | Nico O’Reilly | Gideon Mensah |
| Midfielder | Jude Bellingham | Kamaldeen Sulemana |
| Midfielder | Elliot Anderson | Thomas Partey |
| Midfielder | Declan Rice | Caleb Brinki |
| Forward | Noni Madueke | Antoine Semenyo |
| Forward | Harry Kane | Jordan Ayew |
| Forward | Anthony Gordon | Ernest Nuamah |
What Tuchel Actually Fielded
By the time the teams walked out at Gillette Stadium, Tuchel had already rewritten two of the defensive slots in his predicted lineup. Marc Guéhi came in for John Stones at centre back, and Djed Spence replaced Nico O’Reilly on the left. The rest of the back five and the entire midfield and forward line ran as predicted: Rice and Anderson in the middle, Bellingham at the tip, Madueke and Gordon either side of Kane. Pickford kept goal, with Reece James and Ezri Konsa completing the back line. Nine of the eleven names the predicted lineup had printed walked out unchanged.
Tuchel turned to his bench as the second half wore on without a goal. Five substitutions came across the final half-hour, none of them decisive.
- Bukayo Saka on for Anthony Gordon, 65′
- Nico O’Reilly on for Djed Spence, 65′
- Eberechi Eze on for Jude Bellingham, 74′
- Morgan Rogers on for Elliot Anderson, 74′
- Marcus Rashford on for Noni Madueke, 83′
What Queiroz Sent Out
Queiroz reshaped more of his predicted XI than Tuchel did. The Al Bawaba preview had Sulemana, Partey, and Caleb Brinki in midfield, with Nuamah on the left of the front three. The version he fielded instead pushed Iñaki Williams and Kwasi Sibo into wide midfield roles around Yirenkyi and Partey.
Sulemana, Brinki, and Nuamah dropped to the bench. Semenyo kept his place on the right of the front three, with Jordan Ayew as captain up top.
The back four and goalkeeper ran exactly as predicted: Asare behind Senaya, Jonas Adjetey, Opoku, and Mensah. The shape shifted to a 4-4-2 with Williams and Sibo as the wide midfielders, Yirenkyi and Partey in the centre. The change gave Queiroz a more athletic spine and pulled Semenyo inside to operate off Ayew. The midfield quartet was the part of the predicted lineup that bore almost no resemblance to the version that ran out.
Queiroz used his bench to close out the game rather than chase it. Abdul Fatawu and Prince Kwabena Adu came on at 66 minutes for Williams and Ayew. Kojo Peprah Oppong and Abdul Rahman Baba saw out the final minutes at the back.
How the Goalless Draw Played Out
England controlled possession for long stretches without ever turning it into a clear plan. Ghana sat deep, kept most men behind the ball, and did not register a shot until the 50th minute.
Tuchel sent on Saka and O’Reilly together at 65 minutes to chase a goal that hadn’t arrived. Saka forced a diving save from Asare, and on the follow-up O’Reilly hit the bar before Kane fired over from close range. Marc Guéhi later saw a header cleared off the goalline in stoppage time, with England given six added minutes at the end. The combination of a stubborn Ghana block and England’s blunt finishing in front of goal kept the scoreboard blank. The official match summary and starting XIs confirms the late flurry at Boston Stadium but no breakthrough for England.
The goalless draw left England top of Group L on goal difference and Ghana level with them on four points. It was the first time Tuchel’s England failed to score in the tournament. The tactical story was simple on paper: England could not find a way through a well-drilled Ghana block, and Queiroz’s plan to absorb pressure worked as designed. Kane missed from close range, and his anonymous performance gave the England manager plenty to think about ahead of Panama.
- Attendance: 63,983 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough
- Group L window: June 17 to June 27, 2026
- Previous meeting: England and Ghana had faced each other once before, a 1-1 friendly draw in 2011
- FIFA rankings (June 2026): England 4, Croatia 11, Ghana 73, Panama 34
Group L After Two Rounds
Group L is now split into two clear halves after matchday 2. England sit on top with four points and a goal difference of plus two, having scored four and conceded two across two matches. Ghana are second on the same four points but with a goal difference of plus one, after scoring once and conceding none. Croatia are third on three points with a goal difference of minus one, having scored three and conceded four. Panama are bottom on zero points, eliminated from the tournament with two defeats and a goal difference of minus two. The top two teams in Group L qualify for the round of 32, with the third-placed side potentially joining them as one of the eight best third-placed finishers.
England have effectively secured their passage with the draw, sitting four points clear of Croatia and Panama. Croatia’s 1-0 win over Panama in the same matchday kept their own qualification hopes alive. The math leaves Croatia needing a result against Ghana on June 27 to overtake the Black Stars.
Ghana sit second on goal difference behind England after matchday 2. Croatia face Ghana on June 27 with the runner-up spot on the line.
The winner of Group L will face a third-placed team from Group E, H, I, J, or K in the round of 32, with the tournament rules on how group-stage tiebreakers work setting the route. The runner-up will face the runner-up of Group K. The third-placed team in Group L could be drawn against the winner of Group K if they finish among the eight best third-placed teams at the tournament. The format means a defeat for Croatia against Ghana would knock the 2018 finalists out of the running entirely.
England close the group stage against Panama on June 27 at a venue listed as Match 67 in the tournament schedule. Ghana face Croatia on June 27 in the other Group L closer, with second place on the line. Both teams know their final opponents after Panama’s 1-0 loss to Croatia on June 23.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 4 |
| 2 | Ghana | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4 |
| 3 | Croatia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 3 |
| 4 | Panama (E) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Tuchel change his predicted England XI vs Ghana?
Marc Guéhi came in for John Stones at centre back, and Djed Spence replaced Nico O’Reilly at left back. The rest of the back five and the entire midfield and forward line ran as predicted, with Rice and Anderson anchoring the middle. Pickford kept goal with Reece James and Ezri Konsa completing the defence. Tuchel used all five substitutions across the second half, none of them decisive. Saka, Eze, Rogers, Rashford, and O’Reilly himself all came off the bench.
How did Queiroz change his predicted Ghana XI vs England?
The actual midfield started Iñaki Williams, Caleb Yirenkyi, Thomas Partey, and Kwasi Sibo, replacing Sulemana, Caleb Brinki, and Nuamah from the predicted XI. Semenyo kept his place on the right of the front three, with Jordan Ayew as captain up top. The shape shifted to a 4-4-2.
What was the result of England vs Ghana at the 2026 World Cup?
The match finished 0-0 at Gillette Stadium on June 23, 2026, in front of 63,983 fans. England moved top of Group L on goal difference, with both teams ending matchday 2 on four points. Croatia’s 1-0 win over Panama earlier in the day left them in third on three points. The result was the first time Tuchel’s England failed to score in the tournament.
When is England’s next match at the 2026 World Cup?
England face Panama on June 27 in their final Group L match, listed as Match 67 of the tournament schedule. England have already secured at least a place in the round of 32 with their four points after two games.
When is Ghana’s next match at the 2026 World Cup?
Ghana face Croatia on June 27 in their final Group L match, listed as Match 68 of the tournament schedule. The result will decide who takes second place behind England. A draw would leave both Ghana and Croatia on five points and require tiebreakers to separate them. A win for either side puts them through in second.
