England booked their place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after battling to an entertaining 3-2 victory over Mexico in a pulsating Round of 16 encounter at the Estadio Azteca.
Thomas Tuchel’s side appeared to be cruising towards victory after Jude Bellingham produced a stunning burst before half-time, scoring twice in less than two minutes to put England firmly in command.
The midfielder opened the scoring after meeting Bukayo Saka’s inviting delivery before doubling England’s lead moments later from a Harry Kane assist, leaving the hosts shell-shocked.
Mexico, however, ensured the contest remained alive before the interval as Julián Quiñones capitalised on England’s failure to deal with a free-kick, reducing the deficit and reigniting the home supporters.
The momentum shifted further in Mexico’s favour shortly after the restart when defender Jarell Quansah was sent off following a VAR review for a challenge on Jesús Gallardo, forcing England to play the remainder of the match with 10 men.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, England struck again when goalkeeper Raúl Rangel brought down Anthony Gordon inside the penalty area. Kane stepped up and confidently converted from the spot to restore his side’s two-goal advantage.
Mexico refused to surrender and earned a penalty of their own after another VAR intervention. Raúl Jiménez made no mistake from 12 yards, setting up a tense finale as the co-hosts pushed relentlessly for an equaliser.
England were forced to withstand sustained pressure during the closing stages, but goalkeeper Jordan Pickford delivered a series of crucial saves while the defence held firm to secure a hard-fought victory.
The result sends England into the World Cup quarter-finals for the third consecutive tournament, equalling the achievement they last managed between 1962 and 1970.
Tuchel’s men will now face Norway, who stunned five-time champions Brazil in the Round of 16, with a place in the semi-finals at stake.
Bellingham also etched his name into World Cup history with his outstanding performance. His rapid-fire double made him join the elite group of only two players in World Cup history to score World Cup brace in under 100 seconds at the Estadio Azteca since Diego Maradona accomplished the feat against Belgium in the 1986 semi-finals.
