--- title: "England held to goalless draw by Ghana as Kane misses late chance" description: "England were frustrated by a resolute Ghana in a 0-0 draw at the 2026 World Cup, with captain Harry Kane skying a glorious late chance over an open goal as both sides took a point in Group L." category: "Sports" category_url: https://newsparlor.com/category/sports author: "Noah Andersen" published: 2026-06-23T23:38:00.000Z updated: 2026-06-23T23:38:00.000Z canonical: https://newsparlor.com/article/england-held-to-goalless-draw-by-ghana-as-kane-misses-late-chance tags: ["World Cup 2026", "England", "Ghana", "Harry Kane", "Group L", "football"] --- # England held to goalless draw by Ghana as Kane misses late chance England were frustrated by a resolute Ghana in a 0-0 draw at the 2026 World Cup, with captain Harry Kane skying a glorious late chance over an open goal as both sides took a point in Group L. England's bid to top their World Cup group stalled on Tuesday as they were held to a goalless draw by Ghana, with captain Harry Kane wasting the clearest opportunity of the night deep in the second half. The Group L match, played on a wet evening near Boston, ended 0-0 despite England's heavy dominance of possession, [ESPN reported](https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/49157561/england-ghana-2026-fifa-world-cup-harry-kane). It was the 13th goalless draw England have played at a World Cup, and it came against a Ghana side ranked 65th by FIFA — the lowest-ranked opponent England have faced at a major tournament in three decades. ## Kane's late miss The defining moment came around the 86th minute. Nico O'Reilly's header crashed back off the crossbar and the rebound fell to Kane in front of an open goal. The striker, normally among the most reliable finishers in the international game, blazed his effort high over the bar. It was an open-play chance, not a penalty, and there was no VAR involvement. "Yeah, I'd back myself to score that more often than not, but it is what it is," Kane said afterwards, per ESPN. ## A familiar frustration England had other openings but could not break down a disciplined Ghana side set up to defend and counter by coach Carlos Queiroz. [Sky Sports](https://www.skysports.com/football/england-vs-ghana/549812) noted that Declan Rice headed over in the first half and that Ghana had a penalty appeal waved away by the officials and VAR. England manager Thomas Tuchel acknowledged the difficulty. "You need patience but also bravery at the right moments," he said, according to Sky Sports. "We had enough shots and crosses with a big chance for Kane — it is what it is." Midfielder Jude Bellingham pointed to a recurring theme, telling Sky Sports it was "second-game fever," a reference to England's tendency to stumble in their second group fixture at major tournaments. ## What it means The draw leaves both England and Ghana on four points from two matches in Group L, with top spot still to be decided. England, who opened with a 4-2 win over Croatia, are all but assured of reaching the round of 32 but have not yet mathematically settled their progression. For Ghana, the point was significant: the Black Stars are now firmly in contention to reach the knockout stage for the first time since 2010. England next face Panama, while Ghana meet Croatia, in simultaneous final-round Group L fixtures — with a win potentially enough for either to top the group. ## Sources - [England's World Cup momentum stalled by Ghana after Kane miss](https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/49157561/england-ghana-2026-fifa-world-cup-harry-kane) - [World Cup 2026: England 0-0 Ghana — Harry Kane goes closest late on](https://www.skysports.com/football/england-vs-ghana/549812) - [England 0-0 Ghana: World Cup 2026 as it happened](https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/liveblog/2026/6/23/england-vs-ghana-live-world-cup-2026)