Mexico vs England

Declan Rice, booked inside the first minute, drove forward from his own half to spark the opener. The ball reached Bukayo Saka on the right, and his cross found Bellingham arriving unmarked at the far post to head home in the 36th minute.

Two minutes later, Kane swept a square pass into Bellingham's path and the Real Madrid midfielder slotted his second — and fourth of the tournament — past Raúl Rangel. The 8,700-foot altitude and the deafening home crowd had been silenced.

Mexico responded before the interval. A flicked-on free-kick fell to Julián Quiñones, who rifled past Pickford in the 42nd minute to halve the deficit and tie the Mexican record for most goals in a single World Cup (four, alongside Chicharito and Luis Hernández). Pickford then tipped Jiménez's header over the bar to preserve England's lead at half-time.

England started the second half brightly — Nico O'Reilly's deflected volley struck the post — but the game swung decisively in the 54th minute. Jarell Quansah, making his return from injury at right-back, lunged into a challenge on Jesús Gallardo. Referee Alireza Faghani initially waved play on, but a VAR review downgraded the decision to a straight red card for serious foul play.

Tuchel responded instantly, replacing Saka with John Stones and shifting to a back five. Rather than retreat, England extended their lead six minutes later. Anthony Gordon was fouled by Rangel in the box, and Kane drilled the penalty low into the corner — his sixth goal of the tournament and 73rd of the season for club and country.

But Mexico refused to fold. Kane was penalised for a foul inside his own box following another VAR check, and Jiménez converted the spot-kick in the 69th minute to make it 3–2.

Jude Bellingham (England) — Two goals in 120 seconds, a goal-line clearance to deny César Montes just before half-time, and relentless energy in a man-of-the-match display. BBC Sport rated him 9/10; Flashscore named him Man of the Match.

Jordan Pickford (England) — Three crucial saves: the early Jiménez header, a second Jiménez effort tipped over before the break, and a late Álvaro Fidalgo shot that kept the lead intact.

Harry Kane (England) — One goal, one assist, one penalty conceded. The captain's brace of contributions (8/10, BBC Sport) summed up the game's chaos.

Anthony Gordon (England) — Won the vital penalty with his direct running and relentless work rate (8/10, BBC Sport).

The match stats on the page show Mexico dominated possession (67%) and outshot England 20–6. Yet the shots-on-target tally was level at 5–5, and England's expected goals (1.55 to Mexico's 1.94, per Opta) were closer than the shot count suggests. England's strategy was deliberate: absorb pressure, strike on the counter, then defend deep with a 5-3-1 shape after the red card. Mexico's 1.94 xG reflects sustained second-half pressure rather than clear-cut dominance; England's 1.55 from six shots shows clinical finishing.

England advance to face Norway in the quarter-finals on Saturday 11 July at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami (22:00 BST). The win extends their unbeaten run to seven matches and marks only the third time Mexico have lost a competitive fixture at the Azteca in 90 games (two defeats, one draw).

For Mexico, the defeat ends a 12-match unbeaten run and extends their wait for a first World Cup quarter-final since they last hosted the tournament in 1986. Goalkeeper Guillermo "Memo" Ochoa, playing in a record sixth World Cup, was visibly emotional at full-time after what is likely his final tournament appearance.

Quansah will serve a one-match suspension for the quarter-final, leaving Tuchel with the right-back problem that has persisted throughout the tournament.

This was England's finest knockout victory since 1966 — not because of the scoreline, but because of the context: the venue, the co-hosts, the red card, the storm delay, and the desperation of the final 11 minutes of stoppage time. Tuchel's tactical adjustments after the sending-off were decisive, and Bellingham delivered the kind of performance that defines a tournament campaign. Norway will pose a different challenge, but England have found their spark.