Bellingham scored twice as England defeated the tournament hosts 3-2 to book a quarterfinal meeting with Norway.
England advanced to the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup 2026 after defeating host nation Mexico 3-2 in a round-of-16 match at Mexico City Stadium, ending the hosts’ World Cup campaign despite a late comeback attempt.
RELATED: Colombia Beat Ghana to Reach World Cup Last 16
Mexico, coached by Javier Aguirre, started the match with more possession and created the first clear scoring opportunities. Raúl Jiménez forced a save from Jordan Pickford with a header, while Luis Romo’s long-range effort went narrowly wide.
England turned the game around in the space of three minutes through a brace from Jude Bellingham. The opening goal came after Bukayo Saka delivered a cross that Bellingham headed into the net from close range. Moments later, England’s high press forced a turnover, allowing Harry Kane to set up Bellingham for his second goal.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Una publicación compartida por FIFA World Cup (@fifaworldcup)
Mexico reduced the deficit before halftime when Julián Quiñones converted a rebound following Roberto Alvarado’s cross. The hosts nearly equalized before the break, but Pickford produced two decisive saves to preserve England’s advantage.
England’s challenge increased early in the second half after Jarell Quansah was sent off. Despite playing with 10 men, the European side extended its lead when Anthony Gordon won a penalty after being fouled by Jesús Rangel, and Kane converted from the spot.
Mexico responded after Kane conceded a penalty by fouling Brian Gutiérrez inside the box. Jiménez scored from the penalty spot to bring the hosts back within one goal.
The hosts continued to press for an equalizer, with substitute Edson Álvarez coming close with a header that went just wide after replacing the injured César Montes. England held firm in the closing minutes to secure its place in the last eight.
England, captained by Harry Kane, will face Norway in the quarterfinals on Saturday, July 11, at Miami Stadium.
Reactions
“I’m very proud. We needed everything. It was super difficult. In the moments we thought we catch the momentum, we had setbacks. That is proper mentality. When the going gets tough, they never give up, they never lose belief. It was one step more,” England head coach Thomas Tuchel said.
“I can’t fault my team for anything. We did everything we could, and they’re a great team. This is the top level, you can’t make mistakes because they’ll cost you dearly. We took a chance with our substitutions to take advantage of having an extra man, but we weren’t able to do it. I have nothing but words of gratitude for everyone’s support,” Mexico head coach Javier Aguirre said.
From teleSUR English via This RSS Feed.