Ten-man England held off a spirited Mexico comeback to secure a thrilling 3-2 win in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 at the Azteca Stadium on Sunday. Jude Bellingham scored twice, while Harry Kane added a penalty as England reached the quarter-finals for the third straight World Cup.
Thomas Tuchel’s side survived a late scare to hand co-hosts Mexico their first-ever World Cup defeat at the iconic Azteca Stadium. England will now face Norway, who stunned Brazil 2-1 earlier on Sunday.
Mexico had lost only two competitive matches at the Azteca since 1966, but England produced a disciplined performance to add another defeat to that record.
The match started an hour late because of thunderstorms. Once play got underway, Mexico came out aggressively, backed by a passionate home crowd. England, however, stayed composed and gradually settled into the game.
Bellingham gave England the lead in the 33rd minute, diving in to head home Bukayo Saka’s excellent cross. Just two minutes later, he doubled the advantage by finishing another attack down the right, with Harry Kane providing the assist.
The home fans responded with loud chants of “Yes we can,” and Mexico soon found a way back into the contest. Julian Quinones reacted quickest after a free-kick scramble to volley home and reduce the deficit before half-time.
England’s task became even tougher early in the second half when defender Jarell Quansah was sent off for a reckless challenge.
Despite being down to 10 men, England restored their two-goal cushion on the hour mark. Anthony Gordon was brought down by the Mexican goalkeeper inside the box, and Kane calmly converted the resulting penalty.
Mexico refused to give up. Kane then conceded a penalty while attempting to clear the ball, and after a VAR review, the referee pointed to the spot. Raul Jimenez made no mistake, scoring to make it 3-2 and set up a tense finish.
With more than 20 minutes still to play, England came under intense pressure. Mexico dominated possession and pushed hard for an equaliser, but England defended bravely to hold on for a famous victory in the final World Cup match to be played in Mexico.
It was England’s first match at the Azteca Stadium since their heartbreaking 1986 World Cup quarter-final defeat to Argentina, remembered for Diego Maradona’s famous “Hand of God” goal and his stunning solo effort.
