By Crystal Ugoeze
England booked their place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after battling to a thrilling 3-2 victory over hosts Mexico at the iconic Estadio Azteca on Sunday.
Jude Bellingham starred for the Three Lions with two goals in just 98 seconds, while captain Harry Kane added a crucial penalty as England overcame the challenge of playing with 10 men for more than half an hour.
England will now face Norway on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Florida, with a place in the semi-finals at stake.
In front of more than 80,000 passionate home supporters, Bellingham silenced the crowd by opening the scoring with a header in the 36th minute before doubling England’s lead two minutes later after being set up by Kane.
Mexico responded before halftime through Julián Quiñones, giving the hosts hope heading into the break.
The match swung further in Mexico’s favour in the 54th minute when England defender Jarell Quansah was sent off for a dangerous challenge on Jesús Gallardo.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, England restored its two-goal cushion after goalkeeper Raúl Rangel conceded a penalty. Kane calmly converted from the spot to score his sixth goal of the tournament and the 14th of his World Cup career, drawing level with German legend Gerd Müller for fifth on the all-time World Cup scoring list.
Kane remains firmly in contention for the Golden Boot, trailing only Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland, who each have seven goals.
The England captain later conceded a penalty after committing a foul, becoming the first player since at least 1966 to both score and concede a penalty in the same World Cup match. Raúl Jiménez converted from the spot to reduce the deficit to 3-2.
Mexico launched wave after wave of attacks during the closing stages, including 11 minutes of stoppage time, but goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and England’s resolute defence stood firm to preserve the victory.
The defeat ended Mexico’s unbeaten World Cup record at Estadio Azteca, where they had gone 10 matches without a loss, including three victories during this year’s tournament.
Mexico’s wait for a World Cup quarter-final appearance also continues. The hosts have not reached the last eight since the 1986 tournament, also staged on home soil.