England, down to ten men, secured a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals with an exciting 3-2 win over co-hosts Mexico at the famous Azteca Stadium on Sunday.
Jude Bellingham scored two goals and Harry Kane added a penalty, helping Thomas Tuchel’s team overcome a determined Mexican side to reach the quarter-finals for the third World Cup in a row.
England will next play Norway, who surprised five-time champions Brazil earlier in the day.
The match started an hour late because of thunderstorms. Mexico attacked early, cheered on by the home crowd. England held firm, and Jordan Pickford made a great save to stop Raúl Jiménez’s diving header.
This was Pickford’s 17th World Cup match, tying Peter Shilton for the most appearances by an England men’s goalkeeper.
England took the lead midway through the first half when Bellingham scored with a diving header from Bukayo Saka’s cross in the 32nd minute. Two minutes later, the Real Madrid midfielder made it 2-0, finishing another smooth attack after a pass from captain Harry Kane.
Mexico responded before halftime as Julián Quiñones volleyed home from close range following a scramble inside the penalty area to reduce the deficit.
England nearly restored their two-goal cushion early in the second half when Nico O’Reilly struck the post. The game swung again in the 54th minute when defender Jarell Quansah was sent off after a VAR review for a reckless challenge on Jesús Gallardo.
Despite being reduced to 10 men, England extended their lead when Anthony Gordon was brought down by goalkeeper Raúl Rangel, allowing Kane to calmly convert from the penalty spot.
Mexico refused to give up and pulled another goal back after Kane conceded a penalty, with Jiménez converting from the spot to make it 3-2 and set up a tense finale.
The hosts dominated possession during the closing stages, but England defended resolutely to secure a famous victory in one of the tournament’s most entertaining matches.
“It was a crazy game,” Kane said. “We had to fight. We had to find something. I can’t really talk. The occasion, the team, everything was against us. We found a way.”
England manager Thomas Tuchel praised his players’ resilience after they survived a series of setbacks.
“We needed everything, and it was super difficult. Every time we thought we had the momentum, we suffered another setback. That’s a proper mentality.
“When the going gets tough, they never give up and never lose belief. It was one step more.”
Mexico head coach Javier Aguirre admitted his side paid dearly for costly mistakes despite a spirited performance.
“You can’t make mistakes because they punish you. We made a couple of errors, and it saddens me for the people, but my players can be at peace because they did everything they could against a great team.”
The victory was England’s first at the Azteca Stadium and sets up a mouth-watering quarter-final clash with Norway as they continue their quest for World Cup glory.
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