England settles scores with Azteca

The England team reached the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup by eliminating Mexico (2-3), one of the hosts, in an exciting duel full of historical overtones at the Azteca Stadium, thanks to a double from Jude Bellingham, plus another goal from Harry Kane, and despite playing with one less for more than half an hour.

Thomas Tuchel’s team settled scores with the emblematic stadium that, after Pelé was elevated in 1970, made famous Diego Armando Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ in Argentina’s victory over England (2-1) in the quarterfinal round. Forty years after that national trauma, the inventors of soccer emerged victorious from Mexico City to now meet with Norway, Brazil’s surprising executioner this Sunday.

Once again, the modern wall of eighths stopped Mexico. ‘El Tri’, looking to take advantage of the momentum of playing at home like in those World Cups where they reached the quarterfinals, was careless in Bellingham’s two blows, also in Kane’s penalty, and then did not know how to force at least extra time by playing with one more. England, which only has the 1966 World Cup on its record, rewrote its history at the Azteca but still has a way forward in its company.

After an hour’s delay due to the risk of an electrical storm and the thunderous Mexican anthem, more similar to the cry of the Maori haka, we still had to wait for the match to get lively. The host bit into every centimeter, giving stripes to the young Gilberto Mora to create and Erik Lira to prevent English transitions.

Javier Aguirre’s men chose their moments well, higher or lower, but at high intensity, until they left a serious warning with a header from Raúl Jiménez that was taken down by Jordan Pickford after a quarter of an hour. The ‘Three Lions’ team, with Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon on the wings, approached with the depth of the new FC Barcelona player, although the feeling was of a ‘Tri’ match.

Mexico made no mistakes until two fateful minutes, within a frenetic stretch, where Bellingham scored its two goals. The American team failed in its withdrawal and, moving quickly with Saka, the Real Madrid player appeared to head the score 0-1. After two minutes, almost at the center kick, England bit Mora and in the recovery launched the transition of 0-2.

Azteca remained silent but Aguirre’s team did not allow itself to collapse, continuing the crazy stretch of the match before the break, with the quick 1-2. Julián Quiñones appeared in the right place to catch the ball from a foul in the area and scored his fourth goal in the World Cup to launch the reaction of the ‘Tri’, who had the tie with two clear chances from Jiménez.

Furthermore, Bellingham took it from César Montes on a goal line and England left with an advantage that seemed very difficult to maintain. All in all, Tuchel’s men came back better after the break, with two arrivals from Nico O’Reilly, including a ball that hit the post. The inventors of football approached and, immediately again, saw their objective complicated with a VAR call.

The referee sent off Jarell Quansah for a harsh tackle, problems in the depleted English right-back position, but Mexico had no way to exploit it immediately, because Tuchel’s men found the score 1-3 with a penalty. On a goal kick by Pickford, Gordon forced the penalty which Kane converted. The English team became strong at the back with one less, with John Stones and then Djed Spence, to face the local pride.

Mexico gave excitement to the outcome with the 2-3 penalty, also warned by the VAR for a poorly calculated kick by Kane, which Jiménez converted. The 20 minutes plus 12 of added time that remained were a hanging of balls into the area by an England that dismissed the host so that something of ‘It’s coming home’ began to sound.

TECHNICAL SHEET:

–RESULT: MEXICO, 2 – ENGLAND, 3. (1-2, at half-time).

–ALIGNMENTS:

MEXICO: Rangel; Sánchez (Fidalgo, min.79), Montes (Álvarez, rest), Vásquez, Gallardo; Lira, Romo (Guitérrez, min.61), Mora (Giménez, min.61); Quiñones (Martínez, min.81), Alvarado and Raúl Jiménez.

INGLATERRA: Pickford; Quansah, Konsa, Guehi, O’Reilly (Spence, min.74); Anderson (Burn, min.75), Declan Rice, Saka (Stones, min.57), Bellingham, Gordon y Harry Kane (Rogers, min.90).

–GOALS:

0 – 1, min.36, Bellingham.

0 – 2, min.38, Bellingham.

1 – 2, min.42, Quiñones.

1 – 3, min,60, Kane (penalty).

2 – 3, min.69, Raúl Jiménez (penalty).

–REFEREE: Alireza Faghani (IRN). He admonished Sánchez (min.71) and Vásquez (min.98) for Mexico. And to Rice (min.1), Guehi (min.68), O’Reilly (min.72) and Henderson (min.98) in England. Quansah was sent off (min.54) for a direct red card.

–STADIUM: Azteca.