England survived a mighty scare to secure a 3-2 victory against Mexico to advance at the World Cup 2026 thanks to Jude Bellingham’s quick-fire double and Harry Kane’s penalty in a classic tie at the Azteca Stadium.
A gritty rearguard performance late on, after Jarell Quansah’s red card left Thomas Tuchel’s side with 10 men, was enough to advance to the quarter-finals against Erling Haaland’s Norway and eliminate the co-hosts.
A hostile atmosphere at the Azteca saw El Tri start fast, but the Three Lions settled and broke the deadlock after Bellingham’s header following tremendous work from Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka. And it was 2-0 within 98 seconds as Bellingham converted from close range in another slick move by the Three Lions.The hosts responded superbly though, to spark wild celebrations inside the Azteca before the break as Julian Quinonez crashed home from close-range after England failed to clear a free-kick.
England’s hopes were hit in the second half after Jarell Quansah’s out of control challenge, with referee Alireza Faghani sending him off after a VAR review. But in a gripping second half, Anthony Gordon earned a penalty for the 10 men and Raul Rangel hauled down the Barcelona winger, with Harry Kane making no mistake with a clinical spot kick to restore the two-goal lead at 3-1.
Kane then dangled a leg inside the box with VAR recommending a check and referee Faghani opting for another spot kick, which Jimenez dispatched to bring the hosts within one goal. But despite wave after wave of pressure late on, including 11 minutes of stoppage time, England survived to advance. Follow all the latest reaction from Mexico v England below:
Setting records
Harry Kane has six goals in this tournament for an overall World Cup tally of 14.
This is only the third time an England player has scored six goals in a major tournament – the others are Gary Lineker in the 1986 World Cup and Kane himself at the 2018 World Cup.
What chance do England have of winning the World Cup?
Opta give England a 18.57% chance of winning the World Cup.
That is second only to France (29.68%) and ahead of Spain (13.07%) and defending champions Argentina (12.00%).
England’s next opponents are Norway, who have a 6.64% chance.
Bellingham on preparing for Norway
“It is still one game at a time,” said Jude Bellingham about England’s charge towards the final.
“At the end of the day it is just a round of 16 win. In the quarter-final Norway pose a different threat, some that we know really well, some world-class players in there, so we will have to be ready.
“But my god, if you can’t enjoy a night like this, just for one night, then I don’t know what it’s worth.”
Was Jarell Quansah’s red card the right decision?
Have your say on one of the big refereeing decisions from England’s win in Mexico:
Jude Bellingham’s Mexican masterclass was an all-time England display – the Azteca was a stage made for him
The magnitude of the stage – the World Cup’s most iconic stadium – was inescapable. England were public enemy No 1, facing the co-hosts in their near-impenetrable Azteca fortress. And at an altitude of 7,200ft, Bellingham did not catch his breath: he was simply breathless.
Which England players could miss the semi-finals, if they get there?
These players must avoid a booking against Norway to be eligible in the semi-finals, if England get that far: Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Marc Guehi, Nico O’Reilly, Jordan Henderson.
How long is the suspension for a red card?
A red card (whether a straight red or the result of two yellows in one game) equals a one game ban.
When do red cards reset?
There is no reset on red cards, so to speak, meaning: if a player is sent off in a semi-final, they will miss the final.
How long is a suspension?
The suspension lasts just one game, so if a player were booked in the last 32 and last 16, they would miss a quarter-final; or if they were booked in the last 32/last 16 and the quarter-finals, they would miss a semi-final.
When do yellow cards reset?
Yellow cards reset after the semi-finals, so a booking in the semi-finals does not rule a player out of the final, regardless of what happened in their previous knockout games.
When do yellow cards reset at the World Cup?
How many yellow cards equal a suspension?
If a player picks up two yellow cards overall across the last 32, last 16 and quarter-finals, they will be suspended.
‘The best away day I’ve ever had’
Here are some thoughts from Declan Rice after the celebrations at the Azteca Stadium calmed down.
“I think that’s probably the best England result I’ve experienced, probably the best away day I’ve ever had in an England shirt.
“[It was] everything I expected, it was just an incredible night.
“I was surprised, the altitude. There’s been so much talk about that and to be fair yesterday training [there] was a little bit but today I didn’t really feel it as much.
“But we knew they was a good team, I don’t think they’ve lost in 80 games or something so we knew that it was going to be tough.
“We believed that what we had in the room, all 26 players, was enough to beat them and in the end we showed a different side to us that many people probably think we didn’t have.
“Yeah, it’s a beautiful night.”
