Marcus Rashford inspired England to the victory required to top Group B and ensure it was despair for Wales as they went out of the tournament.
Wales needed to either beat England or hope Iran and USA ended in a draw so they could run up a four- goal victory margin.
Both scenarios were never seriously considered as England dominated throughout and took complete control after the first 45 minutes.
Although the great talisman had only had seven touches, Wales manager Rob Page was forced to replace him because of an injury.
England scored twice within six minutes of the restart, wiping out Wales' hopes of making the last 16.
Marcus Rashford marked his return to the England team after 50 minutes by firing a free-kick past Danny Ward and then turning in Harry Kane's cross.
Wales were demoralised and outclassed as they knew they were on the way home from the tournament, with a large slice of help from Ward who allowed a shot to slip through his legs.
The United States set up a last-16 meeting with the Netherlands after beating Iran by a single point.
It took England time and a desperately dull first half before they clicked into top gear, but once they did they were able to overrun Wales, who ended this World Cup in timid fashion
After scoring his first goal for England in the opening game of the World Cup against Iran, Marcus Rashford went on to score two more times here.
He missed a good chance in the first half when he was played by Kane but his free- kick was emphatic and the second reward for his willingness to drive into the Wales defence at pace. He had a chance to get a hat-trick, but Ward blocked his shot.
As the knockout phase gets under way, England will face a tough test in the form of Senegal, and Marcus Rashford will need to be considered for a starting spot.
The team that played poorly against the USA was replaced by Kyle Walker, Jordan Henderson, MarcusRashford and Phil Foden.
It helped England run out easy winners and gave squad members valuable game time, including Kyle Walker, who missed the end of the season to have groin surgery.
Two wins against Iran and Wales helped England top their group and qualify for the last 16.
Now that the job has been done by England, they need to move on to the next challenge.
After Wales qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 60 years, they must reflect on a poor campaign in which they were eliminated by England in the group stage.
Page's side have always relied heavily on the inspiration provided by Bale and Ramsey but the two great figures of this fine era for Welsh football found this World Cup a step too far.
Bale's only meaningful contribution was the penalty that earned a draw against USA in their opening game, but he contributed nothing in the damaging loss to Iran and was little more than a passenger.
The truth is that their lack of match sharpness left them unable to exert their influence on games.
The question is whether they will continue with their international careers or not.
On Tuesday, it felt like the end of an era for Wales. This was a desperate anti-climax after reaching their first World Cup in 64 years, but it was an era that brought much joy and was appreciated by their outstanding support.
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