England finished first in Group L and will face Senegal in the round of 32 on July 1 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The Three Lions beat Panama 2-0 on Saturday, with goals from Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, finishing the group stage on seven points. Croatia came second in Group L with six points after a 2-1 win over Ghana, securing automatic advancement. Panama and Ghana are out.
According to BBC Sport, England made a winning start to the tournament by beating Croatia 4-2, before being held to a goalless draw by Ghana on Tuesday. The Panama win gave Thomas Tuchel's side the group lead heading into the knockout rounds.
The bracket for the round of 32 is now largely set. According to CBS Sports, the field consists of the 12 group winners, the 12 runners-up, and the eight best third-placed teams across the 12 groups. England, as Group L winners, will face Senegal, who qualified as a third-place team from Group I with three points and a plus-two goal difference. Senegal edged into the last 32 on goal difference over other third-place competitors.
England's potential path beyond the round of 32 is already taking shape. After Senegal, they would meet the winner of Mexico versus Ecuador in the last 16, a match set for Mexico City on July 5. A potential quarter-final would come on July 11 in Miami, against one of Brazil, Japan, Ivory Coast, or Norway.
Scotland, also in Group L, will not be part of any of that. Croatia's 2-1 win over Ghana confirmed Scotland's elimination from the tournament. According to BBC Sport, the result meant Steve Clarke's side could not finish as one of the eight best third-placed teams needed to reach the knockout stage. It is another group-stage exit from a major tournament for Scotland, who have appeared at nine World Cups and four European Championships without ever progressing past the first phase.
Scotland had begun their first World Cup in 28 years with a 1-0 win over Haiti, but fell 1-0 to Morocco and then 3-0 to Brazil in Miami. That Brazil loss left them on three points with a minus-three goal difference, needing results elsewhere to go their way. They did not. Ecuador's comeback win over Germany reduced Scotland's chance of advancing to 5.26%, and Croatia's result sealed their fate.
The only goal Scotland scored in the tournament came from John McGinn's deflected strike against Haiti, their first World Cup win in 36 years. Defender Scott McKenna was robbed of possession inside his own penalty area in the Brazil match, giving Vinicius Jr. an opener. The Real Madrid forward added a second just before half-time, heading in after Scotland again gave the ball away near their goal. Matheus Cunha extended the lead after the break.
Elsewhere in the round of 32 bracket, Brazil faces Japan on June 29 in Houston. The United States, who won Group D, will play Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 1 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. Argentina meets Cabo Verde on July 3 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Germany plays Paraguay on June 29 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, and France faces Sweden the following day at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.
The tournament spans venues across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. According to Yahoo Sports, FOX and NBCUniversal hold broadcasting rights for the 78 matches played in the United States, with a record 40 matches airing during primetime on FOX. U.S. team captain Tim Ream told CBS News: "Imagine, with this World Cup, a Super Bowl every single day for five weeks," adding, "It's not an accident that 5 billion people will be watching."
England's round of 32 match against Senegal is scheduled for July 1 at 17:00 BST, with the opponent confirmed after DR Congo drew or lost their final Group K match.
