Ten-man England secured a thrilling 3-2 victory over co-hosts Mexico at the Estadio Azteca on Sunday, advancing to the World Cup quarterfinals and handing El Tri their first-ever World Cup defeat at the iconic venue.
Jude Bellingham silenced the 80,000-strong crowd by scoring twice within 98 seconds. He headed in the opener in the 36th minute and quickly added a second from a Harry Kane pass in the 38th. Mexico responded just before halftime, with Julián Quiñones finding the net in the 42nd minute to keep the hosts in the game.
The momentum shifted dramatically in the 54th minute when England's Jarell Quansah was sent off for a dangerous challenge. Despite playing a man down, England extended their lead after Mexican goalkeeper Raúl Rangel committed a foul in the box. Harry Kane converted the penalty, marking his 14th career World Cup goal and tying West Germany’s Gerd Müller for fifth on the all-time scoring list.
In a rare twist, Kane then conceded a penalty—becoming the first player since at least 1966 to both score and concede a spot-kick in a single World Cup match. Raúl Jiménez confidently converted for Mexico, making it 3-2 and setting up a frantic finish.
Facing relentless pressure over the final 21 minutes and 11 minutes of stoppage time, goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and the English defense held firm. Mexico’s wait for a quarterfinal appearance, which dates back to 1986, continues.
England will now travel to Miami Gardens, Florida, to face Norway in the quarterfinals on Saturday.
