For all the excitement surrounding England before this World Cup, the draw against Ghana felt strangely familiar. The names have changed, the manager has changed, and yet the same fundamental problem remains. England still struggle whenever they face an opponent that is comfortable defending deep, staying compact and playing without the ball.
The 0-0 draw itself is not a disaster. England remain well positioned to reach the knockout stage and could still finish top of the group. The concern is what the performance revealed. Ghana arrived with a clear plan, sat behind the ball, denied space between the lines and forced England to build attacks patiently. Ninety minutes later England had almost 79% possession, but very little to show for it.
Reuters described Ghana as a "resolute" side that England simply could not break down, while Thomas Tuchel admitted afterwards that it was one of the strongest and most disciplined defensive displays he had seen. Those comments should not be dismissed as post-match compliments. They highlight a weakness that has followed England from tournament to tournament.
When matches become open, England can look outstanding. Against Croatia they scored four times because the game offered space to attack. Players such as Bellingham, Saka, Foden and Kane thrive when transitions appear and defenders are forced into one-on-one situations. The problem is that major tournaments are rarely decided by those kinds of matches. Eventually every contender faces a team whose only objective is to stay compact, frustrate and punish mistakes. Those are the games that define champions.
What made the Ghana performance particularly worrying was that England never looked close to finding a solution. The Guardian's player ratings reflected that reality. Ghana centre-backs Jerome Opoku and Jonas Adjetey emerged as some of the best players on the pitch, while England's attacking players spent most of the afternoon circulating possession without creating sustained pressure. Ghana were not surviving through luck. They were controlling the type of game being played.
Even Jude Bellingham acknowledged afterwards how difficult it was to find space against Ghana's defensive structure. When one of England's biggest stars is openly praising the opposition defenders after a goalless draw, it tells its own story.
This is where comparisons with the tournament's genuine favourites become unavoidable. Argentina have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to win ugly matches against stubborn opponents. France possess enough individual quality to create chances even when games become tactical battles. Spain perhaps remain the best example of a team capable of dismantling low defensive blocks through movement, positioning and patience. England, by contrast, still look uncomfortable whenever an opponent refuses to play on their terms.
That raises an uncomfortable question. If Ghana were able to neutralise England for ninety minutes, what happens when England face Argentina, France or Spain in the knockout rounds? Those teams are not only more talented than Ghana. They are also more ruthless and more experienced in tournament football.
The Premier League may be the strongest domestic competition in the world, but England continue to demonstrate that having the strongest league does not automatically produce the strongest national team. The gap between England's reputation and England's performances against well-organised opponents remains significant.
For that reason, the draw against Ghana should be viewed as more than a minor setback. It was another reminder that England still have not solved the problem that has prevented them from becoming world champions for decades. Until they show they can consistently break down disciplined defensive teams, it is difficult to place them in the same category as Argentina, France or Spain.
England may still go deep into this tournament. They certainly have enough talent to do so. But performances like the one against Ghana suggest that, despite all the optimism surrounding them, they are not yet playing like a team ready to win the World Cup.
Published by Patrick Jane
24.06.2026