Julián Quiñones pulls Mexico back against England in World Cup clash

Julián Quiñones punished a rare England lapse in the box in the 42nd minute, steering a right-footed rebound into the net and pulling Mexico back into a match that had slipped toward collapse at the Estadio Azteca. The goal came after Jude Bellingham struck twice in two minutes, in the 36th and 38th, to put England ahead 2-0 in the World Cup round of 16.

Quiñones’ finish did more than trim the deficit. It gave Mexico a route back into contention before halftime and raised the question of whether Javier Aguirre’s side had found a tactical opening or only a brief burst of life before England could reset. The crowd answered with noise, chanting “Sí se puede” after the early England goals had threatened to silence the stadium.

The match itself began an hour late because of lightning in the area, adding to the tension around one of the tournament’s most watched knockout ties. FIFA had highlighted before kickoff that England was returning to Mexico City and back to the stadium where it suffered one of its most remembered defeats in 1986, when Argentina beat England at the Azteca.

Mexico reached the round of 16 on the strength of a 2-0 win over Ecuador on June 30, and Quiñones had already shaped that result. He scored in the 22nd minute and set up Raúl Jiménez four minutes later, underlining why he had become one of Aguirre’s main attacking options. Born in Colombia, Quiñones had been one of the clearest examples of Mexico’s hybrid national team identity, a player developed across borders and now carrying a central share of the attack.

England still held the advantage late, with ESPN’s live coverage showing the score at 3-2 in England’s favor in the 86th minute. But Quiñones’ response had already changed the temperature of the game, taking Mexico from stunned to briefly dangerous and forcing England to defend a result that looked far more secure only minutes earlier.