Ten-man England survive a late onslaught to defeat co-hosts Mexico 3-2 in a dramatic World Cup Round of 16 clash.

In a match that had everything—from a blistering start to a red card, penalties, and a nerve-shredding finish—England booked their place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup with a hard-fought victory over Mexico at the iconic Estadio Azteca .
The game, delayed by an hour due to a thunderstorm in Mexico City, exploded into life in the first half. It was the Jude Bellingham show as the Real Madrid midfielder scored twice in the space of just 98 seconds to put England in command . The first came in the 36th minute when he powered home a header from Bukayo Saka's precise cross. Moments later, he combined brilliantly with Harry Kane to slot home his second, silencing the passionate home crowd and giving England a 2-0 lead .
However, Mexico, who had entered the match with a perfect record and four consecutive clean sheets, refused to buckle . They pulled a goal back just before half-time when Julián Quiñones smashed home from a chaotic penalty box scramble in the 42nd minute .
The second half descended into a gripping spectacle. England's task became even more difficult when defender Jarell Quansah was shown a straight red card in the 54th minute for a dangerous tackle on Jesús Gallardo, leaving the Three Lions with ten men for over half an hour .
Despite being a man down, England extended their lead. Captain Harry Kane coolly converted a penalty in the 60th minute after Anthony Gordon was brought down in the area . Mexico were awarded a penalty of their own nine minutes later when Kane fouled Brian Gutierrez, and Raúl Jiménez made no mistake from the spot to make it 3-2, setting up a frantic finale .
What followed was a desperate rearguard action from England as Mexico laid siege to Jordan Pickford's goal. Wave after wave of attack tested the visitors' resolve, with England's defenders throwing themselves in front of shots and making crucial blocks to preserve their lead through 11 minutes of added time . Former England striker Alan Shearer described it as "heroic defending from that back line" .

Key Moments 36' - Bellingham opens the scoring with a diving header.
38' - Bellingham doubles the lead after a quick counter-attack.
42' - Quiñones pulls one back for Mexico.
54' - Quansah is sent off for England after a VAR review.
60' - Kane scores from the penalty spot to make it 3-1.
69' - Jiménez converts a penalty to bring Mexico within one.
The victory sees England progress to a quarter-final meeting with Norway. For Mexico, it was a heartbreaking end to a tournament that saw them finish with a 4-0-1 record, though they became the first Concacaf side to score two or more goals against England in a World Cup match .
England manager Thomas Tuchel was furious with his players' decision-making at times, but ultimately praised their character to withstand the "cauldron" of the Azteca . The three lions' journey continues, but they were made to work for it in a match that will be remembered as a classic