England secured a round of 16 spot by beating Wales 3-0 in their final Group B clash at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar on Tuesday.

England needed just a draw to secure qualification, while Wales needed to win by at least a four-goal margin to stand a chance of qualification.

However, it was not going to be easy as the Three Lions have been subject to criticism from fans, especially after a goalless draw with the USA in the second group game.

The first half was a show of dominance by England, but they failed to make it count as they ended the first-half goalless, with neither side getting on the scoresheet.

Two goals in two minutes for the Three Lions opened up the game and set them on course for a victory against their British rivals.

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford got a brace, one on each side of Phil Foden’s 52nd-minute goal. Five minutes after the break, Rashford had opened the scoring, but it was unexpected that another was going to follow through Manchester City player Phil Foden two minutes later.

The third goal would come, but they had to wait until the 68th minute of the game.

The result effectively knocked out Wales from the World Cup as they joined hosts Qatar as the only two teams so far not to get a victory in this edition.

In the group’s second game, USA and Iran faced each other for a place in the knockout, and it was the Americans who picked the second spot in a 1-0 win to qualify for R16.

Chelsea midfielder Christian Pulisic scored in the 38th minute of the game, and that was the only goal of the match, which was enough to see the Stars and Stripes through to the next round.

The USA will now face the Netherlands in the round of 16, while England will battle African champions Senegal.

Daniel Ademiju Idowu