Bellingham’s quickfire brace and Kane’s penalty seal dramatic win as Tuchel’s side survive late Mexican onslaught at Azteca

England booked their place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a dramatic 3-2 victory over hosts Mexico in a pulsating Round of 16 encounter at the Azteca Stadium.

Despite playing much of the second half with 10 men, Thomas Tuchel’s side held firm under intense pressure to secure a statement win and set up a last-eight clash with Norway.

England dominated the early exchanges and seized control before halftime, with Jude Bellingham striking twice in the space of 98 seconds to stun the home crowd.

Mexico responded just before the break when Julián Quiñones pulled one back, moments after Jordan Pickford had produced a series of crucial saves to preserve England’s lead.

The match turned early in the second half when Jarell Quansah was shown a red card for a high challenge on Jesús Gallardo, leaving England to battle with a numerical disadvantage.

However, Harry Kane restored England’s two-goal cushion from the penalty spot after Anthony Gordon was brought down by goalkeeper Raúl Rangel.

Mexico refused to back down and reduced the deficit again when Raúl Jiménez converted from the spot after Kane fouled Brian Gutiérrez inside the box.

Roared on by a passionate home crowd, Mexico piled on relentless pressure in the closing stages, but England’s defence held firm.

Tuchel introduced reinforcements, including Dan Burn and Djed Spence, as his side weathered 11 minutes of stoppage time to seal one of their most resilient victories of the tournament.