England advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals on Sunday with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over host nation Mexico at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The match, played under challenging conditions including a one-hour weather delay due to thunderstorms, saw England overcome significant adversity, including a red card in the second half, to secure their place in the last eight for the third consecutive tournament.

Jude Bellingham was instrumental in England’s win, scoring twice in a span of just 98 seconds late in the first half to give his team a 2-0 lead. His goals came through a diving header from a Bukayo Saka cross and a swift team move assisted by captain Harry Kane. Mexico quickly responded with a goal from Julian Quinones, their tournament top scorer, narrowing the deficit before halftime and igniting the Estadio Azteca’s passionate home crowd.

The match took a tense turn in the 54th minute when England defender Jarell Quansah received a straight red card for a studs-up tackle on Mexico’s Jesus Gallardo, leaving England with ten men for nearly half an hour. Despite being down a player, England extended their lead when Kane converted a penalty awarded after goalkeeper Raul Rangel fouled Anthony Gordon. Kane’s penalty was his sixth of the tournament, moving him closer to the Golden Boot lead.

However, the drama continued as Kane was later penalized for a high boot on Mexico striker Raul Jimenez, who scored from the resulting penalty to bring Mexico back within one goal. Mexico pressed hard in the final minutes, and the game featured 11 minutes of stoppage time due to an injury to Mexican forward Santi Gimenez, who was eventually stretchered off. Despite Mexico’s late efforts and significantly higher number of shots—20 compared to England’s six—England’s defense and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford held firm to preserve the victory.

This win marked a rare World Cup defeat for Mexico at their iconic home stadium, where they had previously lost only twice in competitive matches since 1966. Mexico’s coach Javier Aguirre announced his resignation following the match, handing over leadership to assistant Rafa Marquez. Aguirre praised his players’ effort despite errors that ultimately cost them the game.

England coach Thomas Tuchel lauded his team’s resilience and mental strength under pressure, noting that the players’ refusal to give up was key to overcoming the hostile environment and the disadvantage of playing with ten men for the latter stages. Captain Harry Kane described the game as “crazy” and expressed pride in the team’s ability to find a winning formula against the odds.

The victory sets up a quarterfinal clash on Saturday against Norway, who secured a surprising 2-1 win over five-time champions Brazil in New Jersey. Norway’s Erling Haaland scored both goals late in the match, reaching seven goals in the tournament alongside Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe. The quarterfinal in Miami Gardens will feature England’s Kane against Haaland in a highly anticipated matchup.

The game drew widespread attention across England, with celebrations spilling into the early hours and public venues reporting record sales. Fans and former players alike praised the performance, highlighting it as one of England’s greatest World Cup moments, especially given the challenging altitude, fan atmosphere, and the historical significance of playing in the stadium where England suffered the “Hand of God” defeat four decades ago.

England was granted two days of rest before preparing for their next match. Suspended defender Quansah is expected to miss the quarterfinal, while fullback Reece James remains hopeful to return from injury. With belief growing in their squad’s potential, the team and fans now look ahead to the showdown with Norway for a place in the semifinals.