World Cup 2026: England extend unwanted record after Ghana stalemate

England added Ghana to a long list of opponents after their goalless draw in the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage, extending an unwanted record in tournament history.

England reach historic total of goalless World Cup matches

The 0-0 result against Ghana on Tuesday marked England’s 13th goalless draw at the FIFA World Cup, the highest total recorded by any national team in the history of the competition, according to statistics from Opta.

The latest stalemate continued a trend that has followed the Three Lions across multiple generations and World Cup eras, with several major nations previously contributing to the record.

The record began against Brazil in 1958

England’s first scoreless World Cup draw came against Brazil during the 1958 tournament. The pattern resurfaced four years later when they played out another goalless encounter against Bulgaria at the 1962 World Cup.

In the 1966 edition, England were again involved in a 0-0 draw, this time against Uruguay, during the tournament they eventually won on home soil.

Morocco and Algeria also part of England’s record

The English national team registered two more goalless matches during the 1982 World Cup, first against West Germany and later against Spain.

At the 1986 World Cup, Morocco joined the list after holding England to a scoreless draw. Years later, Algeria would do the same during the 2010 edition in South Africa.

England’s growing record also includes goalless results against the Netherlands in 1990, Nigeria in 2002, Portugal in 2006, Costa Rica in 2014, and the United States during the 2022 World Cup.

Ghana becomes latest addition to the list

Ghana have now become the latest team to frustrate England at the World Cup after Tuesday’s stalemate in the 2026 edition.

The result not only complicated England’s group-stage campaign but also added another chapter to one of the tournament’s most unusual statistical records.