The group stage is over, England are safely through, and another round of rewards is heading towards Snus Vikings customers who correctly guessed the latest result in our World Cup Guess the Results competition.
After the frustrating 0-0 draw with Ghana, England knew exactly what was required against Panama. A victory would guarantee top spot in Group L, avoid any unnecessary complications and send Thomas Tuchel's side into the knockout rounds with renewed momentum. It wasn't quite the goal-fest many supporters had hoped for, particularly those remembering England's famous 6-1 victory over Panama at the 2018 World Cup, but by the final whistle few England fans were complaining.
A professional 2-0 victory was enough to secure first place in the group, extend England's unbeaten start to the tournament and set up a Round of 32 meeting with DR Congo on Wednesday evening. For anyone who guessed an England win, another reward code is now on its way, ready to be added to the collection you've been building throughout the competition.
England Eventually Find the Breakthrough
For much of the first half, there was a sense that England were in danger of repeating the frustrations of the Ghana match. Panama defended in numbers, remained compact behind the ball and made life difficult for England's attackers, while the Three Lions once again enjoyed plenty of possession without creating a constant stream of clear-cut chances.
Marcus Rashford came closest during the opening stages, forcing Orlando Mosquera into an excellent save after cutting inside onto his right foot, while Bukayo Saka and Morgan Rogers both looked lively without quite finding the final pass. Panama, already eliminated from the tournament, were determined not to make life easy and were content to frustrate England for as long as possible.
As the interval approached, memories of the Ghana stalemate were beginning to creep back into the minds of supporters.
Fortunately, England found another gear after the break.
The breakthrough finally arrived from a set-piece, with Jude Bellingham reacting quickest inside the penalty area to turn home from a corner and finally reward England's territorial dominance. Once the first goal had gone in, the match immediately opened up as Panama were forced to commit more players forward in search of an equaliser.
That, inevitably, created the spaces England had struggled to find throughout the first hour.
Kane Makes More History
If Bellingham's goal settled England, Harry Kane's wrapped the evening up.
The England captain rose brilliantly to head home the second goal and, in doing so, wrote another chapter in his extraordinary international career. The strike moved Kane past Gary Lineker to become England's all-time leading goalscorer at World Cups, another remarkable milestone for a player who continues to rewrite the national team's record books.
It also felt like the perfect response after his frustrating evening against Ghana.
Kane had come close several times during that match, most notably when he struck the post, but against Panama he took the opportunity that mattered. England suddenly looked comfortable, composed and fully in control, seeing out the closing stages without any real alarm as Panama struggled to create meaningful opportunities of their own.
The final score may not have matched the fireworks of 2018, but it was exactly the kind of professional tournament performance that successful teams often produce. England did what they needed to do, secured top spot in the group and now move into the knockout stages with seven points from their three matches.
Another Reward Code Is On Its Way
As always, if you guessed the correct outcome, keep an eye on your inbox.
Every successful guess throughout the tournament earns another reward code, and those rewards continue to stack as the World Cup progresses. Whether you've been with the competition since Mexico's victory over South Africa or you've joined more recently, there are still plenty of opportunities to build your collection before the tournament reaches its conclusion.
One of the enjoyable things about this competition has been how varied the results have already been. Mexico delivered the expected opening victory, Morocco frustrated Brazil with a draw, Paraguay surprised plenty of people by beating Turkey, England were held by Ghana when many expected another win, and now the Three Lions have returned to winning ways by finishing top of Group L.
No two fixtures have followed exactly the same script, which is precisely what makes international football so enjoyable to follow.
Next Up: England vs DR Congo
The next featured fixture in the Snus Vikings Guess the Results competition sees England begin the knockout stages against DR Congo.
For England, the objective is obvious, win, and the journey continues, lose, and the tournament is over. There are no second chances from this point onwards.
Although England will start the match as favourites, DR Congo have already shown during this World Cup that they are not a team to underestimate. They recovered brilliantly after falling behind against Uzbekistan to reach the knockout rounds and also earned an impressive draw with Portugal earlier in the tournament, demonstrating both resilience and organisation when it matters most.
Much of their attacking threat revolves around Yoane Wissa, whose pace and movement have caused problems throughout the competition, while experienced defenders such as Chancel Mbemba provide leadership and composure at the back. England will dominate the headlines, but Tuchel knows this is exactly the sort of knockout fixture where concentration is everything.
The manager is also dealing with defensive concerns after Jarell Quansah picked up an ankle injury against Panama, meaning Djed Spence is expected to continue at right-back if Reece James is also unavailable.
England, however, will still travel to Atlanta full of confidence.
Jude Bellingham looks increasingly influential with every game, Harry Kane has rediscovered his scoring touch and the defence has now kept consecutive clean sheets. If England can combine the attacking football they showed against Croatia with the defensive discipline demonstrated over the last two matches, they will rightly believe they have every chance of progressing.
The Tournament Is Only Just Beginning
Although the group stage has now been completed, the Snus Vikings World Cup promotion is far from over.
The Guess the Results competition continues throughout the tournament, giving customers further opportunities to collect and stack reward codes as the biggest matches still lie ahead. Alongside the competition, the World Cup Top 11 offers remain available across selected products, while the six World Cup Mystery Boxes continue to provide another way to enjoy the tournament away from the football itself.
As the knockout rounds begin, every match suddenly carries even greater significance. There is no room for error, no opportunity to recover from defeat and no shortage of drama waiting to unfold.
Get Your England vs DR Congo Guess Submitted
England have done exactly what they needed to do; top of the group with seven points on the board. and another clean sheet.
Now comes the part of the tournament where every nation dreams of making history.
Can England continue their march towards the latter stages? Will DR Congo produce one of the biggest surprises of the competition, or is another twist waiting around the corner?
Get your guess submitted before kick-off, keep an eye on the action on Wednesday evening and don't forget to check your inbox after the final whistle to see whether another reward code is waiting for you.
