World Cup 2026: We knew Ghana would give us a tough test – England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford

England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has conceded that the Three Lions anticipated a difficult encounter against Ghana following their goalless draw in Tuesday’s Group L clash at the Boston Stadium.

The Black Stars produced a disciplined defensive performance to frustrate a dominant England side that controlled large spells of possession but could not find a breakthrough.

England ended the match with 79 per cent possession — the highest recorded by a team in a World Cup match in six decades without scoring — yet struggled to turn dominance into clear chances against a well-organised Ghana defence.

“We knew it was going to be tough against Ghana. We knew they would play counter-attacking football,” Everton goalkeeper told the BBC.

“They were really hard to break down. We had our chances, and we had to be wary of counterattacks, but that’s football, and we needed to get the first goal,” he added.

The result leaves both sides level on four points at the top of Group L heading into the final round of group fixtures.

England face Panama, while Ghana meet Croatia in a decisive match that will determine qualification for the knockout stage.