England achieved an unwanted milestone in FIFA World Cup history after their 0-0 stalemate against Ghana in the 2026 tournament's Group L match, marking their 13th goalless draw — the highest number by any team in the competition's history, according to The Athletic.
Record of 13 Goalless Draws
The 0-0 result against Ghana added to England's long list of scoreless matches in World Cup history. Their first goalless draw came against Brazil in 1958, followed by Bulgaria in 1962, Uruguay in 1966, West Germany and Spain in 1982, Morocco in 1986, Netherlands in 1990, Nigeria in 2002, Portugal in 2006, Algeria in 2010, Costa Rica in 2014, the United States in 2022, and now Ghana in 2026.
Match Details: England vs Ghana
Coming off a 4-2 victory over Croatia, England dominated possession and controlled large phases of play but struggled to break down Ghana's compact five-man defence. Harry Kane was isolated for much of the game, and England's creative players found little space between the lines, failing to register a shot on target in the first half.
In the second half, England manager Thomas Tuchel introduced Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, and Eberechi Eze to add attacking urgency. Jude Bellingham was substituted for Morgan Rogers after reaching 50 international caps at just 22 years and 359 days, becoming the youngest male player to achieve that milestone.
Late Pressure and Near Misses
England increased pressure after the changes, with Nico O'Reilly hitting the crossbar in the 87th minute and Harry Kane missing the follow-up. Ghana survived a late scare when they cleared a header off the line in stoppage time to preserve their clean sheet. Despite sustained pressure, England could not find a breakthrough and settled for a draw.
Group L Standings
England remain top of Group L with four points from two matches, level on points with second-placed Ghana. The result leaves England needing a positive result in their final group match to secure advancement to the knockout stages.
