A two-minute Jude Bellingham burst turned Mexico England from an Azteca siege into England’s 3-2 World Cup escape, ending a home record that had survived every previous Mexican World Cup night at the stadium.
Bellingham shocks Mexico before Quiñones answers
The storm had already delayed kick-off by an hour, and Mexico began as if the noise belonged to them. They kept the ball, forced England back, and drew the first major save when Jordan Pickford denied Raúl Jiménez’s header in the 15th minute.
Then England cut the match open. Declan Rice carried possession forward in the 36th minute, Bukayo Saka crossed from the right, and Bellingham headed in at the far post. Two minutes later, after Mexico lost the ball in midfield, Elliot Anderson found Bellingham, Harry Kane returned the pass, and the midfielder struck again.
Mexico answered in the 42nd minute when Julián Quiñones punished a half-cleared free-kick delivery from about 12 metres, crashing the ball under the bar. Before half-time, Jiménez went close twice and Pickford produced another vital stop, with Bellingham also clearing from the goal line.
Quansah sees red as Kane and Jiménez trade penalties
England almost stretched the lead in the 49th minute when Matt O’Reilly hit the post, but the game swung again in the 54th: Jarell Quansah was sent off, after VAR intervention, for a high challenge. Reduced to 10, England still found a third when Rangel brought down Anthony Gordon and Kane converted the 60th-minute penalty.
Mexico came back from the spot too. After another VAR check, Jiménez scored in the 69th minute, and the rest became a siege: 66% possession, 18 shots to England’s 6, and 10 corners to 2. Yet both sides finished with 5 shots on target, the sharpest measure of England’s brutal efficiency.
England breaks Mexico’s Azteca spell
Mexico had never lost a World Cup match at the Azteca, with 8 wins and 2 draws from 10 previous games there. On the stadium’s 24th World Cup match, England finally cracked that streak and reached the quarter-finals, where Norway await on 11 July in Miami.
Match Information
Competition: World Cup, Round of 16. Date & Time: Monday 6 July 2026, 03:00 CET. Venue: Estadio Azteca, Mexico City. Referee: Alireza Faghani, Australia.
