World Cup day 18: Reaction after England beat Panama and Ronaldo left frustrated

First knockout game coming up tonight

The first knockout game of the World Cup is set to get underway from 8pm as South Africa take on Canada.

The winner of the contest will face either the Netherlands or Morocco in the round of 16, with not much to split between Jesse Marsch's Canada and Hugo Broos's South Africa.

Both sides finished second in their groups respectively and are featuring in the knockout stages for the first times in their history.

Lineups for the clash on the way in a couple of hours time.

England handed Reece James injury boost

Reece James remains confident he will feature again for England at the World Cup despite Thomas Tuchel's growing defensive injury concerns.

The Chelsea full-back is expected to miss Wednesday's Round of 32 clash with DR Congo after suffering a hamstring problem, though he reportedly believes he can return later in the tournament.

England's problems deepened when Jarell Quansah twisted his ankle against Panama, leaving Tuchel short of right-back options following Tino Livramento's earlier withdrawal.

Djed Spence and Nico O'Reilly are among those who could step in as England prepare for their first knockout test in North America.

Lineker defends Bellingham after England heroics

Gary Lineker has defended Jude Bellingham after England's 2-0 World Cup victory over Panama, accusing sections of the media of unfairly criticising the Real Madrid star.

Belingham inspired Thomas Tuchel's side by scoring the opening goal before setting up Harry Kane's record-breaking strike as England topped Group L.

Lineker insisted the 22-year-old's confidence should be admired rather than questioned, describing him as a "mentality monster", "born winner" and one of the world's best players.

Alan Shearer also praised Bellingham, calling him England's standout performer, with DR Congo awaiting in the Round of 32 on Wednesday.

Harry Kane discusses Golden Boot race

Harry Kane has opened up on the Golden Boot race after taking his tally to three goals from as many outings at the World Cup.

He said: "They have started fast, [Lionel] Messi is on five (he's now on six!), [Erling] Haaland and [Kylian] Mbappe on four.

"For me, I try not to think about those guys. I know you guys [the media] will compare me to all of them, that's the way it goes.

"But after not scoring in the last game, as a striker, I wanted to get back on the scoresheet as quickly as possible."

Ronaldo ditches special boots in Portugal draw

Cristiano Ronaldo swapped his special-edition gold Nike boots at half-time during Portugal's goalless World Cup draw with Colombia after they failed to inspire a breakthrough.

The commemorative Mercurial Superfly 11 boots, created to celebrate Ronaldo becoming the first player to score at six World Cups, were replaced by his familiar pink pair after an ineffective first half.

Despite the change, the Portugal captain failed to register another shot as Roberto Martinez's side settled for a draw that secured second place in Group K.

Portugal now face Croatia in the Round of 32, with Spain potentially awaiting in the last 16.

Clarke sparks backlash in Scotland farewell letter

Steve Clarke's farewell letter has sparked criticism after the departing Scotland manager described his side's goalless Euro 2020 draw with England as a "0-0 win".

The 62-year-old stepped down following Scotland's World Cup exit and reflected proudly on his seven-year spell, but that phrase quickly attracted ridicule from supporters on social media.

Several fans mocked the wording, accusing Clarke of celebrating a draw as though it were a victory.

Despite the backlash, the former Scotland boss defended his achievements, highlighting qualification for multiple major tournaments and the rebuilding of the national team's connection with the Tartan Army.

Kane helps negotiate huge England bonus

Harry Kane helped negotiate a record £15million bonus package that England's players will share if they win the World Cup.

The Three Lions captain was involved in discussions before the tournament, with each member of Thomas Tuchel's 26-man squad set to receive around £577,000 should they end England's 60-year wait for glory.

The payout is significantly higher than the bonus available at the 2022 World Cup and reflects FIFA's increased £38m prize for the champions.

Tuchel is also in line for a £3m bonus, while England's players will continue donating their £2,000 match fees to charity through the England Football Foundation.

Shearer says positives for England

Alan Shearer believes there are many positives for England despite some inconsistent displays so far.

"I guess DR Congo are going to play the same as Ghana and Panama have where it will be defensive and they will try and hit England on the break and that's when you're more reliant on players producing that piece of magic to get you out of a tricky spot," he said.

"The positives have been without a doubt Kane getting his goal. Bellingham getting his goal and assist. I thought Elliot Anderson in midfield was superb.

"I thought Marc Guehi used his pace at times to great effect when England were in one or two spots of bother. And that will be what they have to work on because the further they go, if they give the chances they have today then they will be punished."

Martinez defends Ronaldo after Portugal draw

Roberto Martinez has dismissed calls to rest Cristiano Ronaldo, insisting comparisons with Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland are "childish" after Portugal completed their World Cup group-stage campaign with a 0-0 draw with Colombia.

The 41-year-old has played every minute of Portugal's three matches, including the goalless draw with Colombia that secured second place in Group K.

While Argentina and Norway rotated Messi and Haaland respectively, Martinez believes Ronaldo's physical condition and mentality allow him to continue leading the line.

Deeney tears into England trio

Troy Deeney accused Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Noni Madueke of being "ignorant and arrogant" despite England securing top spot in their World Cup group.

The former Watford striker criticised the trio's decision-making, claiming they repeatedly wasted possession and underestimated their opponents.

Speaking on CBS Sports, Deeney argued England's wide players relied too heavily on individual ability instead of making smarter choices.

Fellow pundit Mike Grella also questioned England's overall performances, suggesting Thomas Tuchel's side have failed to justify their reputation.

Kane hails England win

Captain Harry Kane was pleased after England's win over Panama, though did admit it became a 'basketball match' at times.

"A solid performance against a tricky side," he said.

"The way they play, they have some fast players, some tricky players and they can cause you problems but overall we controlled it well.

"We got better in the second half, we took our chances and it became a bit of a basketball match, but overall a good win."

Bellingham pleased after England win

Jude Belingham has expressed his delight after firing England past Panama on Saturday night.

“First job achieved,” he said.

“We came here to do it in sections. We got through the pre-camp games really well and now we have achieved that first objective, which was to get through the group and top it as well.

“We have got to try and improve every game and it’s up to us to do that.”

Henderson speaks out after breaking England record

Jordan Henderson admitted representing England still means as much as ever after becoming the first Three Lions player to appear at four World Cups.

The 36-year-old reached the landmark when he came off the bench during England's victory over Panama, helping Thomas Tuchel's side secure top spot in Group L.

Henderson, who also became the first Englishman to feature at seven major tournaments, said wearing the national shirt remains a dream despite winning 91 caps.

The veteran midfielder insisted he still feels the same excitement as on his debut and remains determined to make England proud at every opportunity.

Neville lauds Bellingham after England win

Gary Neville hailed Jude Bellingham as England's outstanding performer at the World Cup after the midfielder inspired Saturday's victory over Panama.

While Harry Kane made history by becoming England's record World Cup goalscorer, Neville insisted Bellingham has been operating on another level throughout the tournament.

The Real Madrid star broke the deadlock with a brilliant improvised finish before setting up Kane's landmark goal to seal top spot in Group L.

Neville believes England's other stars must quickly raise their standards to give the Three Lions a shot at glory.

Rooney unhappy with Tuchel decision

Wayne Rooney believes Thomas Tuchel should have substituted Harry Kane much earlier during England's 2-0 World Cup victory over Panama after the striker became the nation's all-time leading scorer at the tournament.

Kane's header sealed top spot in Group L, but Rooney warned England risk repeating mistakes from previous competitions by overplaying their captain.

The former England skipper argued Kane should have been withdrawn immediately after scoring to avoid unnecessary fatigue ahead of the knockout rounds.

Rooney fears Kane could again tire as the tournament progresses, despite Tuchel insisting England will improve when they face DR Congo in the last 32.

Why has Clarke left Scotland?

In case you missed it last night, Steve Clarke has resigned as Scotland manager following the nation's World Cup exit, ending his seven-year reign despite signing a new four-year contract just a month ago.

The 62-year-old stepped down after Croatia's victory over Ghana confirmed Scotland's elimination.

Clarke informed his players before the Scottish FA announced his departure.

GB News has taken a look at the situation. Read more here.

England suffer injury blow

Thomas Tuchel faces a fresh defensive headache after confirming Jarell Quansah suffered a painful ankle injury during last night's win.

Quansah, who started at right-back in place of the injured Reece James, was forced off after twisting his ankle and is now a doubt for Wednesday's last-32 clash with DR Congo.

"Classic ankle twist. He is in pain," Tuchel said.

With Tino Livramento already out of the tournament and James still recovering, England are running short of specialist right-backs.
Tuchel admitted it is "our job to find solutions" ahead of the knockout stages.

Keane tears into Tuchel

Roy Keane believes Thomas Tuchel still does not know his best England starting XI despite the Three Lions reaching the World Cup knockout stages as group winners.

"I don't think he has a clue what his best XI is. That's not good," he said on ITV.

Gary Neville, meanwhile, hailed Jude Bellingham as England's standout performer, insisting his team-mates must quickly reach the Real Madrid star's level if they are to become genuine contenders for the trophy.

Good morning

If you stayed up for the England game, and you're reading this now, you'll probably be pretty tired.

I'm exhausted. Five odd hours sleep isn't the one...

But join me throughout the day for the latest World Cup updates regardless and let's battle on together!