Panama vs England: Can minnows take advantage of clear Three Lions World Cup inconsistency to avoid making history?

As a World Cup minnow preparing to face England at the MetLife Stadium on Saturday night, Panama need all the hope and help that they can muster.

In narrow 1-0 defeats to Ghana and Croatia, Thomas Christiansen's side have improved considerably from the debutants who conceded 11 times in three consecutive defeats on their maiden appearance in 2018.

Despite already being eliminated from the 2026 edition, Panama will be motivated to cause a monumental surprise against a team of England's profile.

Furthermore, Panama are at risk of equalling World Cup history. If they lose to the Three Lions in New Jersey, they would equal the all-time record of matches (six) played without recording a single point in a World Cup fixture. Only El Salvador and Haiti have achieved that unwanted feat.

On the face of it, Panama will take confidence from England's inconsistencies in final-game group fixtures at the World Cup. Since 2002, they have prevailed just twice in six such matches.

However, the statistics suggest that England are far more adept at achieving results in the final game of the World Cup group stages than their record suggests.

What is England's record in the final game of a World Cup group since 2002?

There are a multitude of opponents that England could face in the last 32 of the World Cup, a consequence of being able to finish in first, second and third depending on the result between Ghana and Croatia.

Nevertheless, when England have needed to deliver a specific result in the final match of a group at the World Cup since 2002, their record is highly impressive.

The last time that it could be spun that they had slipped up is in 2002. England only needed a draw against Nigeria to qualify for the knockout phase, and they delivered in a goalless draw.

However, Sweden's surprise win over Argentina pushed England into second and left them facing a potential quarter-final date with Brazil. The Three Lions subsequently lost 2-1 to the eventual champions.

In 2006 against Sweden, England needed to avoid defeat to top the group and avoid a last-16 showdown with tournament hosts Germany. Although Sven-Goran Eriksson's team twice let slip a lead in that fixture, they defied an early disastrous knee injury sustained by Michael Owen to get over the line.

Four years later in South Africa and under Fabio Capello, draws against USA and Algeria left England needing to beat Slovenia to reach the last 16.

© Imago / BSR Agency

A first-half Jermain Defoe goal proved enough for a 1-0 victory in a game that England dominated. A 4-1 defeat to Germany in their next outing ended a shocker of a campaign, albeit with the misfortune of Frank Lampard's wonder strike that would have made it 2-2 not being given due to the assistant failing to see that his shot which had hit the underside of the crossbar was a yard over the line.

England had already been eliminated in 2014 by the time that their game with Costa Rica came round. Nevertheless, a goalless draw was posted that extended a streak of not losing a final World Cup group game since 1950.

That changed four years later when Belgium recorded a 1-0 win over England in Russia. With qualification already assured, both Gareth Southgate and Roberto Martinez made widespread changes as they began to think about the knockout phase.

A run of just one win in five final World Cup group matches was improved in 2022 when England cruised past Wales by a 3-0 scoreline. England had required maximum points to guarantee top spot, and they ran riot after half time with a Marcus Rashford double and Phil Foden effort ensuring a comfortable evening.