England failed to make it two wins from two at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, drawing 0-0 against a defensively resolute Ghana, despite a late flurry of attacks.
The pattern of the game was established from the off, with Carlos Queiroz’s side opting to defend deep, limiting any space in behind and looking to frustrate England.
It was a plan that was executed to perfection in the first half, with this match becoming the first at the 2026 FIFA World Cup to see both sides fail to register a single shot on target in the first half.
Harry Kane cut an isolated figure in the first half, having nine touches of the ball, with just two of those coming inside the Ghana penalty area.
The first shot on target of the match came just before the hour mark, with Anthony Gordon firing at Benjamin Asare, who was on hand to make a routine save.
Thomas Tuchel turned to his bench as he looked to spark some life into England’s lacklustre attack, bringing on Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze with 15 minutes to go, before bringing on Marcus Rashford 10 minutes later.
Thomas Tuchel’s side survived a penalty scare when Ezri Konsa appeared to knock Prince Adu to the ground in the 78th minute, with the defender failing to make contact with the ball, but nothing was given, and the referee was not instructed to conduct a VAR review.
England, for the first time in the match, began to really knock on the door with 10 minutes to go, winning a succession of corners and putting the Black Stars under real pressure.
The Three Lions’ best chance came after 88 minutes, with Nico O’Reilly rising highest to get his head on a cross, only to see it cannon back off the crossbar and fall to the usually dependable Harry Kane, who blasted his effort well over the crossbar from close range.
Ghana survived any further scares, picking up a well-earned point in Boston against one of the tournament favourites. They sit in second place in the group, level on four points with tonight’s opponents.
For England, this match was somewhat of a reality check, and the result will certainly lead to more questions regarding their inability to create when faced with a deep, stubborn defence.