World Cup 2026: Bellingham double sends England past Mexico

England win the Azteca thriller 3-2, warts and all

England are into the World Cup 2026 quarter-finals, and they got there the hard way. After a kick-off delayed an hour by thunderstorms over Mexico City, they beat Mexico 3-2 at the Estadio Azteca on a cool, cloudy night, then spent the second half defending the lead with ten men.

The scoreline flattered nobody in particular. Mexico dominated the ball — 66 per cent possession to England's 34 — and racked up twelve shots to England's four. Yet England's expected goals (xG, the quality of chances created) reading of 1.55 sat only just behind Mexico's 1.7, a reminder that they took what they were given. Jude Bellingham scored twice inside three first-half minutes, Harry Kane converted a penalty, and England held firm through eight added minutes to see it out.

England now travel to a quarter-final against Norway on 11 July. On this evidence they will need to be sharper; on this evidence they may not care how it looks.

How the two sides lined up at the Azteca

Bellingham's 90 seconds and Quansah's red

It began badly for England — Declan Rice booked inside the first minute — and stayed scoreless until the half-hour mark, when the game turned on its head. Bellingham struck twice in barely two minutes, first from a Bukayo Saka assist on 36 minutes, then teed up by Kane on 38. Mexico, stunned, hit back almost immediately: Julián Quiñones pulled one back on 42 to keep it alive at the break.

The second half brought chaos. Jared Quansah was sent off on 54 minutes to reduce England to ten, and by the hour they had a penalty of their own, tucked away by Kane to restore the two-goal cushion. Mexico answered again from the spot on 69 through Raúl Jiménez, and from there it was backs-to-the-wall stuff.

Both benches emptied — Santiago Giménez and others came on for Mexico as they chased an equaliser, while England shuffled the deck to protect the lead. The referee, Alireza Faghani, kept busy: a rash of yellows, and a marathon eight minutes of added time that England, somehow, survived.

Fans backed England — the final score obliged

The futbol.so community leaned towards England, and the result vindicated them, if not the exact numbers. The most-picked scoreline was a 2-1 England win; the reality was a wilder 3-2. Close enough to feel prescient, chaotic enough to keep everyone honest.

Sentiment split along familiar lines. England's backers in Colombia mirrored the collective lean, Argentina's community was divided, and Austria's fans were the outliers, fancying a narrow Mexico win. The official model favoured England throughout and, unusually, nailed the exact scoreline at Mexico 2 England 3. A good night for the forecast; a better one for the Three Lions.

Video highlights

FULL-TIME SCENES! England celebrate win vs Mexico | FIFA World Cup 2026

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Highlights | Mexico 2-3 England | FIFA World Cup 2026™

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FIFA WC 2026 | Mexico - England 2:3 | (osmina finala ) | 06.07.2026.

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HIGHLIGHTS - Mexico v England | All-time Classic in the Azteca! | FIFA World Cup 2026

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México vs Inglaterra (2-3) | Resumen y goles | Highlights Copa Mundial de la FIFA 2026™

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World Cup: Mexico vs England

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World Cup: Mexico vs England

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World Cup: Mexico vs England

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World Cup: Mexico vs England

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World Cup: Mexico vs England

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So England advance, having ridden their luck and their star man. Bellingham's double and Kane's penalty did the scoring; a stubborn ten-man defence did the rest. Norway await in the quarter-finals on 11 July, and there will be plenty to fix before then. For one storm-delayed night at the Azteca, though, the result was all that mattered.