2026 World Cup: Ghana hold England to goalless draw as Group L race goes down to the wire
Ghana and England battled to a hard-fought 0-0 draw at the Gillette Stadium on Tuesday, leaving World Cup Group L wide open with both nations level on four points after two matches.
Black Stars coach Carlos Queiroz made four changes to the side that defeated Panama 1-0, handing starting roles to Thomas Partey, Inaki Williams, Benjamin Asare and Kwasi Sibo in a 4-3-3 formation.
Asare replaced Lawrence Ati-Zigi in goal, while the defensive quartet of Marvin Senaya, Jonas Adjetey, Jerome Opoku and Gideon Mensah remained unchanged.
England controlled possession for large spells of the first half through the midfield duo of Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice, but Ghana's midfield trio of Partey, Sibo and Caleb Yirenkyi remained disciplined and prevented the Three Lions from creating clear-cut opportunities.
The Europeans' best chance of the opening half arrived in the 34th minute when Harry Kane found space inside the box, but Asare produced an excellent save to deny the England captain from close range.
Ghana came closest to breaking the deadlock shortly after the hour mark. Inaki Williams raced behind John Stones and forced a sharp save from Jordan Pickford before Antoine Semenyo blazed the rebound over the crossbar.
Both managers turned to their benches in search of a winner in the closing stages. Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford tested Asare from distance, while Jordan Ayew and Semenyo threatened on the counterattack for Ghana.
Despite an entertaining contest in front of 65,878 spectators at Gillette Stadium, neither side could find the decisive goal.
The result leaves both Ghana and England on four points heading into the final round of Group L fixtures, with the Black Stars set to face Croatia in Philadelphia on June 28 in a decisive encounter for a place in the knockout stages.