England survive an Azteca classic to beat Mexico and reach the World Cup quarter-finals
Down to ten men for over half an hour, England edge the hosts 3-2 through a Jude Bellingham brace and a Harry Kane penalty to set up a last-eight tie with Norway.
England produced an instant World Cup classic at the Estadio Azteca on Sunday night, beating hosts Mexico 3-2 to reach the quarter-finals despite playing more than half an hour with ten men. In front of a crowd of over 80,000, the Three Lions became only the third team ever to win a competitive match at the famous stadium, and the first to beat Mexico there in a World Cup.
Jude Bellingham lit the fuse with two goals in barely 90 seconds, heading in on 36 minutes and again on 38 from a Harry Kane pass. Julian Quinones pulled one back from a corner before the break, and the tie swung further when Jarell Quansah was sent off early in the second half. Kane restored the two-goal cushion from the penalty spot after Anthony Gordon was felled, only for Raul Jimenez to convert his own penalty after VAR spotted a Kane foul.
That set up a frantic final half hour in which England, a man down, defended for their lives and held on. It was a night of milestones: Kane's goal was his sixth of the tournament and 14th at World Cups, moving him level with Gerd Muller on the all-time list.
"All the occasion, the team, everything against us, we found a way," Kane said afterwards. Bellingham called it "the best night of my England career."
Mexico's tournament ends on home soil, leaving the United States as the last co-host standing. England now travel to Miami Gardens to face Erling Haaland and Norway on Saturday for a place in the semi-finals.
