World Cup 2026: Ghana hold England to historic goalless draw in Boston
Ghana produced a disciplined defensive performance to hold England to a 0-0 draw in their second Group L match at the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Tuesday night.
The result keeps the Black Stars firmly in contention for a place in the Round of 32 after following up their opening 1-0 victory over Panama with another valuable point against one of the tournament favourites.
England dominated possession throughout the match, enjoying 78.7% of the ball and registering 19 shots compared to Ghana’s two. However, Carlos Queiroz’s side remained organised and resilient, frustrating the Three Lions for the entire 90 minutes at Boston Stadium.
The draw marked Ghana’s first-ever goalless result in FIFA World Cup history.
England captain Harry Kane was unable to find the breakthrough as he remained level with Gary Lineker on 10 World Cup goals, still one away from becoming England’s outright leading scorer in the competition.
For Ghana, goalkeeper Benjamin Asare and the backline led by Jonas Adjetey, Jerome Opoku and Gideon Mensah stood firm against constant English pressure.
The Black Stars also made history by naming their oldest-ever starting XI at a World Cup, with an average age of 28 years and 140 days.
England and Ghana were meeting at the World Cup for the first time, having previously faced each other only once in a friendly at Wembley in 2011, which ended 1-1.
The result means England remain unbeaten against African opposition at the FIFA World Cup, with five wins and four draws from nine matches.
Meanwhile, Ghana’s record against European opposition at the tournament now stands at two wins, two draws and four defeats.
England midfielder Jude Bellingham reached another personal milestone, becoming the youngest men’s player to earn 50 caps for the Three Lions at the age of 22 years and 359 days, while Jordan Pickford made his 14th World Cup appearance, second only to Peter Shilton among England goalkeepers.
With four points from their opening two matches, Ghana will head into their final Group L fixture knowing qualification for the knockout stage remains firmly within reach.
