England Withstand Mexico Fightback to Set Up Norway Quarter Final
Outplayed for significant periods, reduced to ten men and confronted by one of the tournament’s most intimidating atmospheres, England remained clinical and are now looking ahead to Miami.
England reached the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals after surviving an inspired second-half fightback from co-hosts Mexico to secure a 3-2 victory at the Estadio Azteca on Sunday, with Jude Bellingham’s first-half brace proving decisive in one of the tournament’s most compelling knockout ties.
The result sends Thomas Tuchel’s side into a last-eight meeting with Norway, who earlier eliminated Brazil, but only after England sustained a red card, two VAR interventions and a great deal of pressure from a Mexico side that threatened to force extra time until the final whistle.
Mexico controlled much of the opening half in front of a partisan home crowd, pressing England high and forcing the visitors into long spells without possession.
Raúl Jiménez tested Jordan Pickford with a powerful diving header that required an outstanding reaction save, while England struggled to establish any rhythm against the hosts’ intensity. Yet England needed only one opportunity to change the momentum.
Their breakthrough arrived in the 36th minute after Pickford launched a quick transition. Declan Rice carried the ball through midfield before releasing Bukayo Saka on the right, whose inviting cross found Bellingham arriving unmarked to head beyond goalkeeper Raúl Rangel.
Before Mexico had recovered, England struck again. This time Harry Kane provided the final pass, slipping Bellingham into the penalty area, where the midfielder calmly finished to double England’s lead just 98 seconds after opening the scoring.
The quickfire double transformed a match Mexico had largely controlled and made Bellingham the first player since Diego Maradona in 1986 to score twice in a FIFA World Cup match at the Azteca.
Restoring Belief
Mexico, however, refused to let the contest slip away. A set-piece deep into first-half stoppage time exposed uncertainty inside England’s penalty area, allowing Julián Quiñones to volley home and reduce the deficit before the interval.
The goal restored belief among the hosts and ensured England entered the second half with only a one-goal advantage despite their clinical finishing. The contest became increasingly chaotic after the restart.
England’s task grew significantly harder when Jarell Quansah was sent off following a VAR review that upgraded his initial yellow card to a straight red for his challenge on Jesús Gallardo.
Reduced to ten men with more than half an hour remaining, England appeared set for an extended defensive battle. Instead, they found another decisive moment.
Anthony Gordon raced onto a through ball before being brought down by Rangel inside the penalty area, giving Kane the opportunity to restore England’s two-goal cushion.
The captain calmly converted from the spot, placing his effort beyond the Mexican goalkeeper to make it 3-1. Mexico responded almost immediately.
Following another VAR review, the referee awarded the hosts a penalty after Kane’s attempted clearance caught Brian Gutiérrez inside the area. Jiménez confidently converted, reducing the deficit to one goal and setting up a tense final 20 minutes.
“We had to fight and we had to find something. The occasion, the team, everything against us, we found a way.”
— Harry Kane
From then on, England were forced almost entirely into defence. Mexico poured forward, repeatedly delivering crosses into the penalty area and earning a succession of corners as England’s back line, marshalled by Marc Guéhi and later reinforced by defensive substitutions, absorbed wave after wave of pressure.
Pickford remained composed throughout, commanding his area and making several crucial interventions as the hosts searched for an equaliser.
The pressure intensified when 11 minutes of stoppage time were added. Jiménez came closest to forcing extra time when a dangerous cross flashed across the six-yard box, but the striker could not direct his effort on target.
England survived the closing barrage before finally clearing the danger to secure their place in the last eight.
“We had to fight and we had to find something,” Kane told BBC Sport after the final whistle. “The occasion, the team, everything against us, we found a way.”
England’s performance was far from sterling, but it underlined qualities that often define successful tournament sides.
Outplayed for significant periods, reduced to ten men and confronted by one of the tournament’s most intimidating atmospheres, they remained clinical when chances arrived and resilient when the match demanded defensive discipline.
Now, those qualities will be tested again in the quarter-finals against Norway, whose victory over Brazil has already established them as one of the competition’s surprise packages.
England, however, travel to Miami knowing they have already negotiated one of the World Cup’s sternest examinations.
