Jude Bellingham broke the deadlock in the sixty second minute and Harry Kane settled it five minutes later, and that second goal carried weight far beyond the scoreline. It was Kane's eleventh career World Cup goal, moving him past Gary Lineker as England's all time leading World Cup scorer, a record that has stood since the eighties.

Panama competed but could not contain England's quality when it finally clicked in the second half. The win sealed top spot in Group L and the smoother knockout route that comes with it.

For England this was control rather than fireworks, a professional job lit up by a genuine piece of history. Kane keeps doing the unglamorous, undeniable thing: scoring, and scoring, until the record books simply have to make room.