England triumphed over co-hosts Mexico with a score of 3-2 in a thrilling round-of-16 match at the iconic Azteca Stadium in Mexico City on Sunday, despite facing an electric crowd and an early red card in the second half.
The match was filled with excitement and even experienced a weather-induced delay that lasted over an hour. Both teams and the spirited audience contributed to what turned out to be one of the tournament’s most memorable games, allowing England to secure their place in the quarterfinals for the third consecutive World Cup.
With two goals from Jude Bellingham and another from Harry Kane, England made history by becoming the first team to defeat Mexico in a World Cup match at the renowned Azteca, and only the third to win there in 89 competitive matches.
As they aim for their second World Cup title, their first since 1966, England is set to face Erling Haaland and Norway in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Saturday for a chance to reach the semifinals.
“It was a crazy game. We had to find something,” Kane exclaimed, his voice hoarse from celebration. “With everything going against us, we managed to find a way.”
Despite Mexico’s valiant effort to recover from two-goal deficits on two occasions, their hopes of advancing to the quarterfinals for the first time since hosting the World Cup in 1986 were thwarted.
Bellingham scored twice in just 98 seconds, temporarily silencing the spirited crowd of over 80,000. However, Julián Quiñones narrowed Mexico’s deficit before halftime, igniting the crowd once again.
More drama unfolded in the second half when England’s right back, Jarell Quansah, received a red card for a high challenge on Jesús Gallardo following a video review in the 54th minute, seeming to open a door for a Mexican comeback.
However, Kane quickly restored England’s lead from the penalty spot after Mexico’s goalkeeper, Raúl Rangel, fouled Anthony Gordon.
This marked Kane’s sixth goal of the tournament and the 14th of his World Cup career, tying him with Gerd Müller of West Germany for fifth on the all-time scoring list.
Shortly thereafter, Kane became the first player since at least 1966 to both score and concede a penalty in the same World Cup match when a video review confirmed he fouled Brian Gutiérrez.
“I thought I got to the ball first,” Kane shared regarding the penalty. “It was one of those days. The ref seemed to give a lot against us, but in the end, it didn’t matter, and I’m happy.”
Raúl Jiménez converted the penalty, setting the stage for a tense finale. Mexico poured forward in attack for the final 21 minutes, plus an additional 11 minutes of stoppage time, but could not break through against a resilient England defense led by goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
“This is probably one of the biggest wins for England in a long time, perhaps the biggest I can remember as a fan or a player,” Bellingham stated. “It’s the best night of my England career.”
Midfielder Jordan Henderson was taken to the hospital after the match due to a wrist injury he sustained while falling over an advertising board during the postgame celebrations, according to coach Thomas Tuchel. “It’s quite a serious injury,” he mentioned.
Mexico’s exit marks the eighth time they have been eliminated at the round-of-16 stage since their last quarterfinal appearance in 1986. The only other occasion they advanced past this stage was during the 1970 World Cup when they last hosted the event.
With Canada eliminated in their match against Morocco on Saturday, the United States stands as the sole remaining co-host. They will face Belgium in their round-of-16 match on Monday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.