Bellingham’s brace inspires 10-man England past Mexico in World Cup thriller
Key Points(5)
- England conquered one of international football’s toughest environments on Sunday, overcoming Mexico, a second-half red card and the daunting atmosphere of the Estadio Azteca to earn a pulsating 3-2 victory and secure a place in the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals.
- Jude Bellingham produced another masterclass with two first-half goals in just 98 seconds, while Harry Kane calmly converted a second-half penalty as Thomas Tuchel’s side withstood relentless pressure after being reduced to 10 men.
- The victory keeps England’s hopes of ending a 60-year wait for a major international title alive and sets up a mouthwatering quarter-final meeting with Erling Haaland and Norway.
- Tuchel praises England’s unshakable resolve England manager Thomas Tuchel hailed his players’ resilience after they emerged victorious from a match that tested both their physical endurance and mental strength.
- “When the going gets tough, they never give up, they never lose belief.
England conquered one of international football’s toughest environments on Sunday, overcoming Mexico, a second-half red card and the daunting atmosphere of the Estadio Azteca to earn a pulsating 3-2 victory and secure a place in the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals.
Jude Bellingham produced another masterclass with two first-half goals in just 98 seconds, while Harry Kane calmly converted a second-half penalty as Thomas Tuchel’s side withstood relentless pressure after being reduced to 10 men.
The victory keeps England’s hopes of ending a 60-year wait for a major international title alive and sets up a mouthwatering quarter-final meeting with Erling Haaland and Norway.
Tuchel praises England’s unshakable resolve
England manager Thomas Tuchel hailed his players’ resilience after they emerged victorious from a match that tested both their physical endurance and mental strength.
“When the going gets tough, they never give up, they never lose belief. It was one step more,” Tuchel said.
Reflecting on the significance of the occasion, he added:
“We need to take this in. This is Azteca, it’s Mexico, a crazy game. We left everything out there, every single one of us. We need to take this in, now it’s full steam ahead.”
Bellingham seizes control
Kickoff was delayed by an hour after thunderstorms and heavy rain swept across Mexico City, but the weather did little to dampen the passion inside the packed stadium, where more than 80,000 supporters created a deafening backdrop.
Aware of the challenges posed by the altitude, more than 7,300 feet above sea level, England began cautiously against a Mexican side that had burst out of the blocks in its previous victory over Ecuador.
Jordan Pickford was called into action early, diving sharply to deny Raul Jimenez's powerful header before England gradually settled into the contest.
Tuchel introduced Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka among three lineup changes, and both wingers quickly justified their selection.
Saka delivered a pinpoint cross that Bellingham powered home with a commanding header, handing Mexico its first goal conceded in five World Cup matches.
Before the home side could regroup, England struck again.
Kane threaded a precise pass across the area, where Bellingham arrived to emphatically finish for his fourth goal of the tournament, doubling England’s advantage less than two minutes after opening the scoring.
Mexico roars back Into the contest
The hosts refused to fold.
Julian Quinones reignited the atmosphere by firing home after England failed to clear a free kick, trimming the deficit before halftime.
Mexico nearly found an equalizer before the interval as Jimenez fired one effort wide, saw another header turned away by Pickford, and watched Bellingham produce a crucial defensive intervention to deny Cesar Montes from close range.
England came close to restoring a two-goal cushion shortly after the restart when Nico O’Reilly’s deflected effort struck the post.
Red card changes everything
The complexion of the match shifted dramatically in the 54th minute.
After a VAR review, defender Jarell Quansah received a straight red card for a mistimed challenge on Jesus Gallardo, leaving England to navigate the remainder of the contest with 10 men.
Rather than retreat completely, the visitors responded with composure.
Just six minutes later, Gordon was brought down by Mexico goalkeeper Raul Rangel inside the penalty area, and Kane confidently converted from the spot to restore England’s two-goal lead.
The strike was Kane’s sixth of the tournament, leaving him just one behind Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe in the race for the Golden Boot.
England holds firm under relentless pressure
Mexico was handed renewed hope when Kane was penalized for a foul inside his own penalty area, allowing Jimenez to convert from the spot and cut the deficit to 3-2.
What followed was an intense siege.
Driven forward by an energized home crowd, Mexico poured numbers into attack throughout 11 minutes of stoppage time, but England’s defense refused to buckle.
Pickford made key interventions, defenders threw themselves into challenges, and Tuchel’s side survived wave after wave of pressure before the final whistle confirmed one of the tournament’s most hard-fought victories.
Historic win sets up heavyweight quarter-final
The triumph carried added historical significance for England.
It erased painful memories of the 1986 World Cup quarter-final at the Azteca, where Diego Maradona inspired Argentina past England with two unforgettable goals, including the infamous “Hand of God.”
Now, nearly four decades later, England has rewritten its history at the iconic venue.
The Three Lions have reached a third consecutive World Cup quarter-final, where an even sterner examination awaits against Haaland-led Norway, with momentum, belief and two of the tournament’s brightest stars, Bellingham and Kane, continuing to drive their pursuit of global glory.
