Unbeaten England finished with seven points, comfortably ahead of Croatia, who were second with four after beating Scotland 3-1 in Glasgow.
The 20-year-old was jeered at the Melbourne Cricket Ground when he tripped over the ball on one of his first touches in the area, but a minute later soaked up the acclaim after slotting home a through ball from Nigerian teenager Kelechi Iheanacho.
City salvage draw at home with Sterling's superb late volley after Rooney put Everton ahead. Rooney scored his second goal in as many games this season. The strike was his 200th in the Premier League, making him just the second player after former England forward Alan Shearer to reach that milestone.
Southgate said England had been forced to give players extra days' recovery and also tapered their training schedules as the country's hopes of qualifying for the Nations League finals were dashed after Sunday's 2-0 defeat by Belgium.
England hammered Iran 6-2 on Monday in an emphatic World Cup opener thanks to two goals from Bukayo Saka
Chelsea had looked in full control at halftime after goals from Marc Cucurella and Cole Palmer
Raheem Sterling's stunning individual goal earned Liverpool a 1-1 draw with Chelsea in a rip-roaring League Cup semi-final first leg at Anfield on Tuesday but the dominant Merseysiders could be left to rue a missed opportunity.
Manchester City took another decisive step toward an unprecedented fourth successive Premier League title with a 4-0 demolition of Fulham.
The English Premier League resumed on Wednesday, after the forced break due to COVID-19. Here are IMAGES from the EPL matches played on Wednesday.
Images from the EPL matches played on Sunday
Second-half substitute Riyad Mahrez earned Manchester City a 1-0 win at Chelsea on Thursday to move to within five points of leaders Arsenal in the Premier League.
The club versus country row which has dogged England in the past reared its ugly head once again with manager Roy Hodgson saying he should not be solely responsible for resting 'tired' Liverpool forward Raheem Sterling.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Kevin de Bruyne's first-half penalty and a superb strike by Raheem Sterling after the break earned holders Manchester City a comfortable 2-0 away win at Newcastle United in the weekend's last FA Cup quarter-final on Sunday.
VfL Wolfsburg reached the Champions League last 16 and dealt a knockout blow to Manchester United with a 3-2 victory to claim top spot in Group B and condemn their opponents to the Europa League on Tuesday.
Manchester City won the English League Cup for the second successive season as the beat Chelsea 4-3 in a penalty shootout after the Wembley showpiece had ended 0-0 after extra time.
Chelsea won their first competitive match under coach Mauricio Pochettino with a 3-0 home victory over Premier League new boys Luton Town.
England begin their World Cup group campaign against Iran on November 21.
The Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court heard that the attacker, Karl Anderson, had 25 convictions for 37 offences, including football-related violence, the BBC reported. The 29-year-old will pay a 100 pound ($134) fine.
The loss was the joint-heaviest defeat by a side already crowned Premier League champions. Arsenal were beaten 4-0 at Liverpool in 1997-98 in the game after they clinched the title.
Tottenham were booed off at the final whistle as defeat left them in fifth place
England defender Chris Smalling headed the only goal with five minutes left as they beat 10-man Portugal 1-0 in a turgid Euro 2016 warm-up match at Wembley in London, on Thursday.
Crystal Palace, who missed a stoppage-time penalty, became only the second team to take points off Manchester City in the English Premier League this season when they held the runaway leaders to a 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park on Sunday.
Chelsea reached the Champions League quarter-finals as a first-half goal from Raheem Sterling and a controversial penalty by Kai Havertz overturned a first-leg deficit.
England ran riot by scoring three first-half goals to stun Spain and earn a 3-2 away win in the Nations League on Monday as they moved back into contention in League A Group 4 with their first victory on Spanish soil for 31 years.
We haven't played the best coming into the tournament. There was a lot of talk and speculation about our form but we showed everyone how much quality we have and what we can do," said Saka, whose last major tournament ended with him missing a penalty in the Euro 2020 final shootout.
Manchester City's Premier League title celebrations were put on hold as rivals Manchester United produced a remarkable comeback from two goals down to win their derby clash 3-2 at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
The difference in fortunes since Liverpool won 3-0 away to Manchester United in March was illustrated when Louis Van Gaal's team reversed that scoreline on Sunday.
A summary of Wednesday's Champions League Round of 16, Second Leg, matches.
Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling struck twice as the Premier League champions beat Crystal Palace 3-1 at Selhurst Park on Sunday to go top of the table and heap pressure on title rivals Liverpool.
Palace outclass Everton to cruise into FA Cup semi-finals
Four months after quitting Liverpool for Manchester City, Raheem Sterling will have the first opportunity to justify the move by getting one over his former employers when the teams meet at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
A round-up of Tuesday night's matches in the UEFA Champions League.
The match lived up to its billing right from the start
Images from the English Premier League match played between Manchester City and Newcastle on Wednesday
Rooney's 50th, 150th and 200th EPL goals have all come against Manchester City.
Arsenal claimed their first Premier League win at Everton for six years as Leandro Trossard's second-half strike proved enough to secure the points at Goodison Park on Sunday.
Images from the EPL matches played on Saturday
Liverpool forward Sadio Mane scored his 100th goal for the club to help secure a 3-0 victory over lively Crystal Palace in the Premier League at Anfield on Saturday.
Manchester City had a late goal from Gabriel Jesus ruled out by VAR video review as they drew 2-2 at home to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday -- their first league home game without victory in nearly eight months.
