England stun Mexico in World Cup classic, reach quarter-finals

England survived pressure, a red card and a hostile Azteca crowd to beat Mexico 3-2 in the World Cup round of 16 and move into the quarter-finals against Norway. The result arrived at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, where Mexico had never lost a World Cup match before this one and had built an 8-win, 2-draw record.

Jude Bellingham settled the contest early by scoring twice in 98 seconds in the first half, turning a tense knockout tie into a statement of intent. Harry Kane then converted from the penalty spot to give England a lead that looked enough until Jarell Quansah was sent off in the 54th minute and Mexico forced the game back into the balance.

Mexico answered through Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez, pushing England into a spell of defending that tested the side’s composure and shape. With 10 men, England had to absorb sustained pressure and protect a one-goal margin in a stadium where visiting teams rarely survive, let alone win.

The scale of the result goes beyond the scoreline. England Football marked it as England’s first match at the Mexico City Stadium in 40 years, since the 2-1 loss to Argentina in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final. It also came against a Mexico side that had won all four of its matches at the 2026 tournament before facing England, giving the victory added weight in a knockout setting.

England’s win now sits in the same conversation as the team’s most celebrated foreign results because of the opponent, the venue and the stakes. Beating a co-host in the round of 16 at one of world football’s most daunting stadiums carries a different kind of force from a routine away win: it closed down Mexico’s perfect World Cup record at the Azteca, ended England’s 40-year wait to return there and sent the Three Lions onward with one of their most demanding tournament victories in years.