England eliminated host nation Mexico 3-2 in a breathless World Cup Round of 16 match at the Estadio Azteca. Jude Bellingham sparked the offense with a rapid-fire double in the first half, but the victory required a grueling defensive stand after defender Jarell Quansah was sent off.
Pundits are already calling the 3-2 result England’s finest knockout victory on foreign soil since 1966. Playing at severe altitude against a hostile home crowd is difficult enough. Doing it a man down borders on the impossible.
Bellingham silenced the Azteca early. He struck twice in the span of two minutes, finding the net in the 36th and 38th minutes to give England a commanding lead. That cushion vanished quickly. Julián Quiñones answered for Mexico just before the break in the 42nd minute to slash the deficit.
The match fractured completely in the 54th minute. A VAR review caught Quansah in a challenge that earned him a straight red card. Suddenly, England had to defend a narrow 2-1 lead with 10 men in thinning air.
Captain Harry Kane provided the ultimate lifeline. He stepped up to the penalty spot in the 60th minute and buried the attempt, pushing the lead back to two goals in a chaotic knockout clash. Mexico refused to fold. Raúl Jiménez converted a penalty of his own in the 69th minute to set up a frantic final twenty minutes.
England locked down the defensive third to secure the win, but the post-match celebration brought a bizarre casualty. Midfielder Jordan Henderson suffered a freak arm injury after tumbling over the advertising hoardings while celebrating the final whistle.
The victory books England a ticket to the quarter-finals. Waiting for them is Erling Haaland and the Norway national team.