Jude Bellingham broke a frustrating deadlock to put England ahead after 62 minutes, then crossed for Kane to double their advantage with a close-range header five minutes later.
England were below-par for long periods and once more looked vulnerable at the back. The English team suffered another injury blow when emergency right-back Jarell Quansah, deputising for the injured Reece James, was forced off in the second half. England head coach Thomas Tuchel needed a game-changer in a dour struggle against Panama, after his side had played three goalless halves in succession at the World Cup.
And it was Bellingham who took on the role. Bellingham pushed forward in the first half, along with the recalled Morgan Rogers, which occasionally left Elliot Anderson isolated in midfield and England vulnerable on the break. It paid dividends, however, just after the hour when he stretched his leg around Panama’s Jorge Gutierrez to force a finish past keeper Orlando Mosquera.
And Bellingham made another decisive contribution with the cross for Kane, as the Real Madrid star rose to the challenge of lifting England out of mediocrity and to the top of their group.
