MEXICO CITY – England advanced to the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals after defeating host nation Mexico 3-2 in a dramatic round-of-16 match on Sunday night, overcoming a second-half red card and intense late pressure at Estadio Azteca.
The victory ended Mexico’s unbeaten World Cup record at the iconic Mexico City stadium, where El Tri had gone 10 tournament matches without defeat, including three victories during this year’s competition. England will now face Norway on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Florida, with a place in the semifinals at stake.
Bellingham Sparks England’s Early Control
Jude Bellingham transformed the match with two goals in just 98 seconds during the first half, silencing a crowd of more than 80,000.
The midfielder opened the scoring in the 36th minute with a header before doubling England’s advantage in the 38th minute after finishing a pass from Harry Kane.
Mexico responded before halftime when Julián Quiñones scored in the 42nd minute, reducing the deficit and keeping the hosts firmly in contention.
England Responds After Red Card
The momentum appeared to shift after England defender Jarell Quansah was sent off in the 54th minute for a dangerous challenge on Jesús Gallardo, leaving England to play the remainder of the match with 10 players.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, England restored its two-goal cushion after Mexico goalkeeper Raúl Rangel conceded a penalty. Kane converted the spot kick to make it 3-1.
The goal was Kane’s sixth of the tournament and the 14th of his World Cup career, drawing level with Gerd Müller of West Germany for fifth place on the competition’s all-time scoring list. Kane also moved within one goal of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland in the race for the tournament’s Golden Boot.
Mexico’s Late Fight Falls Short
Kane later conceded a penalty after committing a foul, becoming the first player since at least 1966 to both score and concede a penalty in the same World Cup match.
Raúl Jiménez converted from the spot with a stutter-step run-up to cut England’s lead to 3-2.
Mexico launched sustained attacks during the final 21 minutes and throughout 11 minutes of added time, but goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and England’s defense preserved the lead to secure passage into the quarterfinals.
Quarterfinal Berth Ends Mexico’s Home Run
The result sends England into the final eight, where Norway awaits in a match that will determine one of the semifinalists.
For Mexico, the defeat extends a difficult World Cup knockout record. The national team has not reached the quarterfinals since hosting the tournament in 1986. Since then, El Tri has exited in the round of 16 on eight occasions, failed to advance beyond the group stage in 2022, and missed the 1990 World Cup after being disqualified.
Article Tags: | FIFA World Cup | England | Mexico | Jude Bellingham | Harry Kane | Jordan Pickford | Estadio Azteca | Norway | World Cup Quarterfinals | Golden Boot Race
This report is based on reporting by The Associated Press.
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