Mexico Vs England World Cup 2026: England Beat Mexico 3-2 at the Azteca in a World Cup Classic to Reach the Quarterfinals
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England wrote one of the most dramatic chapters in their World Cup history on Saturday, beating Mexico 3-2 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup. They did it with ten men, in a cauldron of noise, against a co-host nation that had never lost a World Cup game on home soil. Until now.
How England pulled it off
Jude Bellingham was the story of the first half. The Real Madrid midfielder scored twice in the space of two first-half minutes to put England in command and seemingly heading toward a comfortable round of 16 exit from the tournament.
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Mexico refused to fold. Julian Quinones pulled one back before the break, and the Azteca roared back to life. Then came the moment that changed everything: Jarell Quansah was shown a straight red card for an ugly lunge, leaving Thomas Tuchel’s side to defend a one-goal lead with ten men for more than 30 minutes.
What followed was relentless Mexican pressure, a wall of noise from the crowd, and England doing what England rarely do at tournaments: grinding it out.
Harry Kane settled nerves with a penalty, his sixth goal of the competition, to restore the two-goal cushion. Mexico were awarded one of their own moments later, and Raul Jimenez converted to make it 3-2. The Azteca was at fever pitch. England held on.
What the result means
For Mexico, it is a painful exit from a tournament they co-hosted. Losing on home soil in a World Cup for the first time stings in a way that will take time to process. They pushed England to the limit and deserved more from the game, but more is not what the scoreline gives them.
For England, this win carries a different kind of weight. They had never won at the Estadio Azteca before. Doing it in a World Cup knockout match, a man down, against a crowd that had every intention of willing the home side through, is the sort of result that shifts how a team sees itself.
Tuchel’s side now face Norway in Miami on July 11 with a place in the semifinals on the line.
The golden boot race tightens
Kane’s penalty takes him to six goals for the tournament, placing him squarely in the conversation for the golden boot alongside Kylian Mbappe of France, Lionel Messi of Argentina, and Norway’s Erling Haaland. That quarterfinal against Norway, then, carries a subplot within a subplot.
| Player | Country | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Harry Kane | England | 6 |
| Kylian Mbappe | France | 6 |
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | 6 |
| Erling Haaland | Norway | 6 |
What comes next
England versus Norway on July 11 in Miami. Haaland against Kane, a quarterfinal with golden boot implications and a World Cup semifinal spot at stake. After what happened at the Azteca, nobody will be writing England off.
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