England are into the World Cup 2026 quarter-finals, but not without making the nation sweat first. A 3-2 victory over Mexico at the Estadio Azteca required a Jude Bellingham masterclass in the first half, followed by the kind of nervy defensive rearguard that Gareth Southgate would have recognised all too well.
Bellingham Sets England on Their Way
From the first whistle, Bellingham was everywhere. He gave England the lead with a clinical first-half finish and doubled the advantage before the break, taking his tally for the tournament to four goals. In these moments — big knockout game, intimidating atmosphere — he looks like somebody playing a different sport to everyone else on the pitch. Harry Kane added a third with a penalty just before the hour mark. A red card for Jarell Quansah changed the game, and Mexico pulled one back through Raul Jimenez to make it 3-2. The final twenty minutes were exactly as uncomfortable as the scoreline suggests.
England Hold On Under Pressure
Playing with ten men inside a stadium that never stopped making noise, England's backline had to dig deep. Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford made two crucial saves in the final ten minutes. The atmosphere at the Azteca is unlike anything in club football — Mexico's supporters created an extraordinary noise for 90 minutes, and England did not collapse.
England vs Norway — What Awaits in the Last Eight
England now face Norway in the quarter-finals on Saturday, July 11 in Miami — meaning a date with Haaland, who just scored twice to knock out Brazil. Bellingham versus Haaland: the two best players at this World Cup, on opposite sides, with a semi-final place at stake.
Match facts: Mexico 2-3 England | 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 | Goals: Bellingham (2), Kane pen | Red card: Quansah | Next: England vs Norway, QF, July 11, Miami
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