Wayne Rooney has paid tribute to Ghana's Black Stars following their controlled, disciplined goalless draw against England in Group L of the FIFA World Cup 2026, calling their performance excellent.

England were held to a 0-0 stalemate on Tuesday in their second group stage fixture, with Thomas Tuchel's side dominating possession but failing to carve out clear-cut chances. The Three Lions did not register a shot on target until the 57th minute.

Tuchel's changes could not unlock Ghana

Tuchel had made two adjustments from the side that beat Croatia 4-2 in Dallas — Marc Guéhi and Djed Spence came in for John Stones and Nico O'Reilly — before resorting to wholesale substitutions in search of a breakthrough. O'Reilly, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, Morgan Rogers, and Marcus Rashford all entered the fray, yet Ghana's defensive structure held firm.

O'Reilly went close when his header struck the crossbar, and Harry Kane blazed the rebound over from close range — summing up England's frustrating evening.

Rooney's verdict: give Ghana a lot of praise