Job done - but England will not win World Cup unless they improve

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Job done - but England will not win World Cup unless they improve Figure caption, England beat Panama to qualify for last 32 as Group L winnersByPhil McNulty Chief football writer at New York New Jersey StadiumPublished54 minutes agoEngland head coach Thomas Tuchel insists the bigger the games, the bigger his side will get. He must hope he is right or their World Cup campaign will be a short one. And credit where it is due.

England's win against Panama ensured phase one of this World Cup was mission accomplished, qualifying top of Group L to face DR Congo in the last 32 in Atlanta on Wednesday (17:00 BST). The serious business starts now after two wins from three group games - but it would be delusion to suggest England's progress into the knockout phase has been totally convincing, even though it was completed successfully. "It was hard work," Tuchel told Sport.

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"We were ready for that. I said we so often get carried away with our expectations and what we demand of ourselves. "We demanded to win the group and this is the day we did this.

I encouraged everyone to enjoy it and take it in. "We are at the World Cup. I know our expectations.

I know we can do better, but everyone who pushed and the players and staff deserves to go to the plane with a smile. "There were not many smiles for the first frustrating portion of England's final group game, but they got there in the end. England, for the first hour, struggled as they did against Ghana to break down a Panama side ranked 42nd in the world, even offering the underdogs hope with another vulnerable defensive display.

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In the final reckoning, England were too good for Panama, but this was not a victory without concerns for Tuchel. Who could England face in last 32 after qualifying for next round? Published2 hours agoWho had the X-factor and who had a tough game?

England player ratings Published3 hours agoBellingham's brilliance rescues England - and just as wellJude Bellingham's place in England's World Cup starting line-up was a point of debate before the tournament, under pressure from the outstanding form of his boyhood friend, Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers. Tuchel, correctly, decided he could not do without Bellingham's class and big tournament experience. He has been rewarded with a crucial goal in their opening World Cup win against Croatia then here, even more significantly, with a game-changing performance in New York New Jersey Stadium in the face of Panamanian defiance.

Bellingham worked in tandem with Rogers as Tuchel rested Declan Rice, who has been struggling with a hamstring injury and was on a yellow card. The pair's attacking instincts occasionally left Elliot Anderson over-run and overworked as a single pivot, but Bellingham's brilliance made it work.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.