MEXICO CITY: In an absolute classic at the iconic Estadio Azteca, a resilient 10-man England survived a raucous home crowd, high altitude, and a dramatic second-half red card to dump co-hosts Mexico out of the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a thrilling 3-2 victory in the Round of 16.
England’s midfield maestro Jude Bellingham turned the match on its head in the first half, scoring two spectacular goals just 98 seconds apart. He opened the scoring in the 36th minute with a towering header off a Bukayo Saka cross and struck again in the 38th minute following a clinical assist from Harry Kane.
Mexico roared back just before the interval when Julián Quiñones found the net in the 42nd minute, sending the 80,000-strong home crowd into a frenzy.
The match took a chaotic turn in the 54th minute when English defender Jarell Quansah was shown a straight red card after a lengthy VAR review for a dangerous challenge on Jesús Gallardo. Down to 10 men, Thomas Tuchel’s side showed champion grit. Anthony Gordon won a penalty at the hour mark, which captain Harry Kane ruthlessly converted for his 6th goal of the tournament.
Kane went from hero to villain minutes later, conceding a penalty for a foul on Brian Gutiérrez inside the box. Mexican veteran Raúl Jiménez stepped up and calmly converted from the spot in the 69th minute to bring El Tri within one goal. Despite continuous waves of Mexican attacks across 11 grueling minutes of stoppage time, Jordan Pickford’s acrobatic saves guaranteed England a spot in the quarterfinals, where they will face Norway.
