England booked their place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after producing a resilient display to edge co-hosts Mexico 3-2 in a thrilling Round of 16 encounter at the Azteca Stadium.
Thomas Tuchel’s men overcame a hostile atmosphere, a one-hour kick-off delay and the challenge of playing more than half the match with 10 men to eliminate the tournament hosts and set up a quarter-final showdown with Norway.
England made the breakthrough in the 36th minute through Jude Bellingham, who finished brilliantly to silence the packed Azteca crowd. Just 98 seconds later, the Real Madrid midfielder struck again, doubling the Three Lions’ advantage with another composed finish.
Mexico responded before the break when Julian Quiñones reduced the deficit in the 42nd minute, giving the home fans renewed hope heading into halftime.
England’s task became significantly more difficult nine minutes into the second half when defender Jarell Quansah was shown a straight red card following a VAR review for a reckless challenge, forcing Tuchel’s side to play the remainder of the contest with 10 men.
Despite being a man down, England extended their lead in the 60th minute after Anthony Gordon was brought down inside the penalty area. Captain Harry Kane calmly converted from the spot to score his sixth goal of the tournament and restore his side’s two-goal cushion.
Mexico refused to give up and pulled another goal back in the 69th minute when Raúl Jiménez converted a penalty after referee Alireza Faghani awarded the spot-kick following another VAR review.
The closing stages saw relentless pressure from the hosts, but England’s defence stood firm. Tuchel introduced Dan Burn and Djed Spence as part of a defensive reshuffle, with the Three Lions producing a determined rearguard effort to repel wave after wave of Mexican attacks.
The hard-fought victory sends England into the last eight, where they will face Norway, while Mexico’s World Cup dream comes to an end despite a spirited performance in front of their home supporters.
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