FIFA
England hold nerve with 10 men to knock out Mexico in five-goal World Cup classic
Mexico City/IBNS: Jude Bellingham's quickfire brace and a successful penalty from captain Harry Kane powered England into the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Mexico at the Mexico City Stadium on Sunday.
The dramatic Round of 16 contest featured two penalty kicks, a red card, two yellow cards and several contentious refereeing decisions before England booked a last-eight clash with Norway.
Bellingham puts England in command
After a one-hour delay due to thunderstorms in Mexico City, England seized control of the match through Bellingham, who struck twice in quick succession in the first half to stun the home crowd.
Mexico pulled one back before the break through Julián Quiñones, ensuring the hosts remained firmly in the contest heading into halftime.
It doesn’t get much better than that! Guts and courage from every single member of this squad. Proud of this team! ❤️🏴 pic.twitter.com/gH5kLEy7KA
— Harry Kane (@HKane) July 6, 2026
Red card shifts momentum
England's task became significantly tougher early in the second half when defender Jarell Quansah was shown a red card, reducing the visitors to 10 men.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, England restored their two-goal cushion after Kane calmly converted a penalty.
Mexico fight back, Pickford stands tall
Mexico refused to surrender and narrowed the deficit once again when Raúl Jiménez converted from the penalty spot, setting up a tense finale.
The hosts piled on relentless pressure in the closing stages, but England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford produced a string of crucial saves to preserve the lead.
England eventually held on for a 3-2 victory to progress to the quarter-finals, where they will face Norway.
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