England produced a resilient and exhilarating display to defeat co-hosts Mexico 3-2 at the iconic Azteca Stadium, booking a place in the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals where they will face a formidable Norway side inspired by Erling Haaland.
The highly anticipated Round of 16 encounter was delayed by an hour due to severe thunderstorms, but the dramatic wait only heightened the spectacle as Thomas Tuchel’s side delivered one of their finest performances in recent years under intense pressure from a partisan Mexican crowd.
England seized control just before half-time through the brilliance of Jude Bellingham, who struck twice in the space of 98 seconds to silence the packed Azteca Stadium and give the Three Lions a commanding advantage.
Jordan Pickford also played a crucial role, producing two outstanding saves to deny Raúl Jiménez before Mexico found a way back into the contest. Julián Quiñones ignited the home supporters with a powerful finish three minutes before the interval to reduce the deficit.
The momentum appeared to swing decisively in Mexico’s favour early in the second half when defender Jarell Quansah was shown a straight red card for a high challenge on Jesús Gallardo, leaving England to battle with 10 men for much of the contest.
Despite the setback, England restored their two-goal cushion after Anthony Gordon was brought down inside the penalty area by goalkeeper Raúl Rangel. Captain Harry Kane calmly converted from the spot to make it 3-1.
Kane, however, later gifted Mexico another lifeline when he conceded a penalty after fouling Brian Gutiérrez inside the box. Jiménez converted from the spot to reduce the deficit once again and set up a tense finale.
Facing relentless pressure from the hosts and an electric atmosphere, Tuchel introduced Dan Burn and Djed Spence, switching to a five-man defensive line to withstand 11 minutes of stoppage time and secure a memorable victory that ended Mexico’s remarkable home record.
England’s triumph sets up a mouth-watering quarter-final clash against Norway, who continued their impressive World Cup campaign with a 2-1 victory over five-time champions Brazil.
Erling Haaland once again proved the difference for the Scandinavian side, scoring twice to send Norway into the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in their history.
The prolific striker broke the deadlock in the 79th minute before sealing the victory 11 minutes later with a stunning low strike from outside the penalty area, despite having only a handful of touches in Brazil’s box throughout the match.
The brace took Haaland’s tally to seven goals at the tournament, drawing him level with France’s Kylian Mbappé and Argentina captain Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot.
Former Scotland winger Pat Nevin hailed Haaland’s decisive second goal as a moment of extraordinary quality, describing it as a finish that only the world’s elite forwards could produce.
With England and Norway now set for a blockbuster quarter-final showdown, both sides will head into the contest brimming with confidence after eliminating two of the tournament’s strongest teams.
