World Cup: England defeats Mexico to reach the quarter-finals

In the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, the England national team faced one of the tournament hosts, Mexico. In a dramatic clash at the Estadio Azteca, the "Three Lions" secured a 3-2 victory, booking their spot in the quarter-finals. This win is being recorded as one of the most brilliant results in English tournament history. This is reported by Goal.com reports .

Although the match was delayed by an hour due to a severe storm, the intensity on the pitch was high from the very first minute. The Mexico national team looked more active early on, but England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford saved his team from certain goals by denying dangerous shots from Raul Jimenez. By the 36th minute, the English managed to open the scoring.

Bellingham's peerless performance

The team's young star Jude Bellingham became the hero of the match. First, he headed in a cross delivered by Bukayo Saka. Just 98 seconds later, he latched onto a pass from Harry Kane to find the back of the net, securing a brace. According to Goal.com, Bellingham's movements on the pitch added a special intensity to England's attacks.

The Mexicans managed to reduce the deficit just before the end of the first half. Julian Quinones capitalized on a scramble following a free kick, firing a powerful shot into the goal. This goal gave the hosts extra confidence heading into the second half.

Red card and a nervous finish

In the second half, Thomas Tuchel's side faced unexpected difficulties. Defender Jarell Quansah was sent off after a VAR review for a rough challenge on an opponent. Down to ten men, England was forced to defend, but Anthony Gordon won a penalty on a counter-attack. Harry Kane made no mistake from the spot, making it 3-1.

The end of the game was extremely tense. After Harry Kane committed a foul inside his own penalty area, the referee awarded a penalty to Mexico. Raul Jimenez took advantage of the opportunity to reduce the deficit to a minimum. Although Mexico launched relentless attacks in the remaining minutes, the English defense and Jordan Pickford played reliably to preserve the victory.

Now, the England national team will face Norway for a place in the semi-finals. This match is scheduled to take place next Saturday in Miami. Experts highly praise the resilient victory of the team under Thomas Tuchel's management.