Thomas Tuchel has declared that England will elevate their performance as the stakes grow higher, insisting "the bigger the game, the bigger we'll be" after his side ground out a 2-0 win over Panama to top Group L at the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The victory at MetLife Stadium on Saturday was far from straightforward. England were sluggish in the first half before improving after the break, though Tuchel dismissed concerns about the quality of the display, framing it instead as a launchpad for the knockout phase.

"It was a tough match. It was difficult to score. We were the only team to score twice against them," Tuchel told reporters. "We were aggressive and careful with the counter-attacks — we deserved to win but it was a hard piece of work. The tournament starts again now in knockouts. We collect our strength and energy. We build our team spirit and belief. We will step up."

England had already secured their place in the last 32 heading into the match following Friday's results. Topping the group sets up a last-32 tie against a third-placed side on Wednesday, with Senegal or the Democratic Republic of Congo expected to be the opponents in Atlanta.

Neville and Keane sound the alarm

Not everyone shared Tuchel's confidence. Gary Neville, speaking to ITV, acknowledged the manager's words but insisted improvement is essential. "Tuchel said, 'we will step up, the bigger the games'. They're going to have to," Neville said. "He won't be walking off that pitch thinking everything is perfect right now. They've got to get together in the next four days, get Declan Rice back in the team, get the back four more solid."

Roy Keane was blunter in his assessment. "I still don't think Tuchel has a clue what his best XI is," he said. "He's done a lot of chopping and changing. That's not good. It wasn't pretty, far from it. England's top players eventually turned up in the second half in Bellingham and Kane. They're huge players for them, that's what you want in these tight games."

Defensive frailties on display

Tuchel made five changes for the Panama fixture, handing Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka their first starts of the tournament, alongside Nico O'Reilly, Morgan Rogers, and Jarell Quansah.

Panama registered 13 shots on England's goal and had the ball in the net late on through José Fajardo, only for VAR to rule it out for offside. Micah Richards, speaking to the BBC, pointed to the defensive softness as a concern heading into the knockout rounds.

"Panama did have chances and that is something to keep an eye on," Richards said. "They conceded against Croatia, Ghana also had chances. Before you know it the opponent has space, and against better teams you will get punished. If this is Mbappe, Lamine Yamal or Vinicius, that could potentially go in."

England now turn their attention to Wednesday's last-32 clash, with a potential return to MetLife Stadium for the final on July 19 the ultimate prize on the horizon.