Jude Bellingham scored twice as 10-man England held off a spirited Mexico comeback to secure a 3-2 victory in a dramatic FIFA World Cup Round of 16 clash at the Azteca Stadium on Sunday, booking a place in the quarter-finals for the third successive tournament.
The match, played in front of a hostile home crowd and interrupted by a weather delay of nearly an hour, saw England withstand sustained second-half pressure after defender Jarell Quansah was sent off.
England, still chasing their first World Cup title since 1966, will face Norway in the quarter-finals in Miami Gardens on Saturday, with a place in the last four at stake.
Bellingham put England in control with goals in the 36th and 38th minutes before Julian Quinones pulled one back for Mexico just before halftime.
England’s task became more difficult in the 54th minute when Quansah was shown a straight red card following a VAR review for a challenge on Jesus Gallardo. He became the first England player to be sent off at a World Cup since Wayne Rooney in 2006.
Manager Thomas Tuchel responded by replacing Bukayo Saka with John Stones to reinforce the defence.
Despite being reduced to 10 men, England restored their two-goal advantage in the 60th minute when Harry Kane converted a penalty after Anthony Gordon was brought down by goalkeeper Raul Rangel.
Mexico again cut the deficit through a Raul Jimenez penalty in the 69th minute but failed to find an equaliser despite enjoying a numerical advantage for more than half an hour.
The defeat extended Mexico’s long wait for a return to the World Cup quarter-finals, a stage they have not reached since hosting the tournament in 1986. They have now been eliminated in the Round of 16 eight times since then.
