England edge 10-man thriller against Mexico to reach World Cup quarter-finals
England beat Mexico 3-2 at the Azteca after playing much of the second half with 10 men. The win sent Thomas Tuchel's side into a third straight World Cup quarter-final and set up a meeting with Norway.
- Jul 06, 2026,
- Updated Jul 06, 2026, 9:23 AM IST
England booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-finals after holding off a spirited Mexico comeback to claim a dramatic 3-2 victory in a Round of 16 clash at the Azteca Stadium on July 6.
Played in front of a passionate home crowd, the contest was interrupted by a weather delay of nearly an hour and saw England play much of the second half with 10 men following a red card. Despite the setback, Thomas Tuchel's side secured a third successive World Cup quarter-final appearance.
England, still seeking their first World Cup title since 1966, will now face Norway, led by Erling Haaland, in Miami Gardens on Saturday, with a semi-final berth at stake.
Jude Bellingham put England in command with two quick goals in the first half, scoring in the 36th and 38th minutes. Mexico responded before the interval through Julián Quiñones, who found the net in the 42nd minute to keep the hosts in contention.
England's task became more difficult in the 54th minute when defender Jarell Quansah was shown a straight red card after a VAR review deemed his challenge on Jesús Gallardo worthy of dismissal. Quansah became the first England player to be sent off at a World Cup since Wayne Rooney in 2006, joining Ray Wilkins (1986) and David Beckham (1998) on the list of England players dismissed at the tournament.
Following the dismissal, England manager Thomas Tuchel introduced John Stones in place of Bukayo Saka to reinforce the defence.
Despite being a man down, England restored their two-goal cushion six minutes later when Harry Kane converted from the penalty spot after Anthony Gordon was fouled by Mexico goalkeeper Raúl Rangel inside the area.
Mexico narrowed the deficit again in the 69th minute as Raúl Jiménez scored from the penalty spot, but the co-hosts were unable to find an equaliser despite enjoying a numerical advantage for the remainder of the match.
The defeat extended Mexico's long wait for a return to the World Cup quarter-finals. The co-hosts have now been eliminated in the Round of 16 on eight occasions since reaching the last eight in 1986, with their only other quarter-final appearance coming when they hosted the tournament in 1970.