<p>England’s young and free-flowing team banished the ghost of past national failures with a record 6-1 thrashing of feeble Panama on Sunday that included a hat-trick by Harry Kane and eased them into the last 16.</p>.<p class="bodytext">England’s biggest-ever World Cup win, featuring two penalties by Kane, then a fortuitous deflection off his heel, also guaranteed Belgium’s berth in the next round from Group G.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“Not many players score a hat-trick at a World Cup, so I’m proud of it. We had fun out there too,” said Kane calling his third “one of the luckiest goals of my life.”</p>.<p class="bodytext">Ahead of their meeting on Thursday to decide who tops Group G, England and Belgium are level on points, goal difference and goals scored.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Sunday’s game at a pulsating Nizhny Novgorod stadium left the shell-shocked Central Americans out of their debut tournament with nine goals conceded. It also eliminated Tunisia.</p>.<p class="bodytext">On Saturday, defending champions Germany stayed alive in the tournament, pulling off a last-gasp 2-1 win over Sweden.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Meanwhile, on Sunday, Japan twice pegged back Senegal in a thrilling 2-2 draw that leaves World Cup Group H wide open.</p>
<p>England’s young and free-flowing team banished the ghost of past national failures with a record 6-1 thrashing of feeble Panama on Sunday that included a hat-trick by Harry Kane and eased them into the last 16.</p>.<p class="bodytext">England’s biggest-ever World Cup win, featuring two penalties by Kane, then a fortuitous deflection off his heel, also guaranteed Belgium’s berth in the next round from Group G.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“Not many players score a hat-trick at a World Cup, so I’m proud of it. We had fun out there too,” said Kane calling his third “one of the luckiest goals of my life.”</p>.<p class="bodytext">Ahead of their meeting on Thursday to decide who tops Group G, England and Belgium are level on points, goal difference and goals scored.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Sunday’s game at a pulsating Nizhny Novgorod stadium left the shell-shocked Central Americans out of their debut tournament with nine goals conceded. It also eliminated Tunisia.</p>.<p class="bodytext">On Saturday, defending champions Germany stayed alive in the tournament, pulling off a last-gasp 2-1 win over Sweden.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Meanwhile, on Sunday, Japan twice pegged back Senegal in a thrilling 2-2 draw that leaves World Cup Group H wide open.</p>