MEXICO CITY — Tears streamed the faces of Mexican players as they saluted loyal fans at the end of their magical World Cup journey at Azteca Stadium.
Displaying tactical discipline and superior talent, the English national team defeated Mexico 3-2 with a lineup reduced to 10 men on Sunday night. England advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals, dashing Mexico’s dreams of finally advancing past the Round of 16.
Mexico’s inspiring run as World Cup co-hosts with an unbeaten record was no match for a stellar performance by Jude Bellingham — who scored two goals in the span of two minutes in the first half — and another goal by star striker Harry Kane, who converted a penalty kick in the second half.
After Kane’s second-half penalty kick, Raúl Jiménez converted a penalty kick of his own to cut England’s lead to 3-2 in the second half, but it wasn’t enough.
“We made a couple of mistakes on the goals we conceded. This is the big leagues, and you can’t make mistakes because they’ll cost you,” said Mexico coach Javier Aguirre, who was eliminated in the round of 16 for the third time during his third stint leading the Mexican national team.
Now England, one of the World Cup title favorites, will face Norway, one of the tournament’s surprise teams that upset Brazil, in a tournament quarterfinal to be played on July 11 in Miami.
In the end, neither the altitude, nor the smog, nor more than 80,000 fans were decisive factors in the final outcome of a game in which England’s superior roster filled with Premier League talent controlled the result.
“This match didn’t feel like a round of 16 match; it felt like a final,” England coach Thomas Tuchel said. “We analyzed the situation; we knew the first 20 minutes at high altitude would be the toughest. This is a special team.”
Mexico had not previously conceded a goal during the 2026 World Cup, in part, because it successfully built early leads.
Just as El Tri was applying more pressure in the first half, Bukayo Saka broke away down the right flank and sent a cross to Bellingham, who scored in the 36th minute. Then came what was likely Mexico’s biggest mistake of the match: two minutes later, Gilberto Mora lost the ball while coming off his line, and Bellingham set up Kane, who returned the ball to Bellingham for the score and a commanding 2-0 lead.
The two minutes of lapses that England capitalized on proved devastating to Mexico’s long-term hopes.
The majority of more than 80,000 fans at Azteca Stadium tried to ignite a Mexico rally, cheering louder after the team fell behind 2-0 and chanting “Sí se puede.”
Four minutes after England’s second goal, Quiñones capitalized on a loose ball in the box and scored to make it 2-1, breathing new life into Mexico’s campaign and sending Azteca Stadium into a frenzy.
During first-half stoppage time, Mexicos’ César Montes received the ball inside the six-yard box, but Bellingham cleared what looked like a certain goal.
Mexico returned from halftime with great momentum in front of a crowd that had been entertained at halftime by the Mexican band Maná.
In the 54th minute, it appeared a VAR review gave Mexico a breakthrough opportunity.
After Jarell Quansah’s hard challenge on Jesús Gallardo, the referee headed to the replay booth. Video showed Quansah’s studs colliding with Gallardo’s calf and the referee issued Quansah a red card that delighted the crowd as England’s lineup was reduced to 10 men.
Six minutes later, a Mexico foul set up what became England’s game-winning goal.
Mexico was struggling to adjust to new spacing and speedy Anthony Gordon broke free near the box. Mexico goalkeeper Raúl Rangel ran forward and collided with Gordon, resulting in a penalty kick
Kane converted the penalty with power and confidence, making it 3-1 — a blow that seemed to be too much for the Mexican team to overcome.
“It was a crazy game, and we had to fight hard. It was one of those days when the referee is against us, and we managed to win,” Kane said.
It was Kane’s sixth goal of the tournament and his 14th in World Cup history, tying him with Thomas Müller for fifth place on the all-time men’s World Cup scoring list.
“Kane is a great player. He’s at the peak of his career,” Tuchel said. “I’m glad he’s joined Bayern Munich, a winning culture.”
Mexican-American Brian Gutiérrez entered the game as a substitute and, at times, injected energy into the home team. He also drew a foul on Kane, prompting the referee to award Mexico a penalty kick. Raúl Jiménez calmly scored to make it 3-2 in the 69th minute.
England adjusted its strategy to protect its lead, packing the front of goal.
Many Mexican players were shorter than their English counterparts and England was content to let Mexico keep sending crosses into the box England could easily deflect during the final 30 minutes of play.
Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford caught anything that sailed in his direction with ease. Aguirre removed Quiñones in favor or taller options, but Mexico never recovered from the loss of offensive creativity.
“I think we lost with a lot of honor. I’m not satisfied, but I am happy with what we achieved,” Mexico midfielder Erik Lira said. “We planted a seed that we’ll remember tomorrow. I’m sure good things are coming for us.”
The English managed the flow of the game intelligently, and Mexico City’s much-discussed elevation of 7,350 feet above sea level never proved to be a significant factor in the match.
“We competed against the elite, and I think we did well. We set out to bring joy to this country, and if we were to lose, we would do so with our heads held high,” said Guillermo Martínez, a Mexican forward who entered the game in the second half.
Mexico had lost just two of its 89 matches at Azteca Stadium, winning 70 and tying 17. The last time it lost an official match there was a 2-1 defeat to Honduras in a 2013 World Cup qualifier.
“On the way here, on the bus, I saw a lot of passion in the people,” Tuchel said. “We faced a very tough team in a difficult stadium.”
Mexico swept group play with a perfect 3-0 record, though it continued its streak of failing to advance to the World Cup quarterfinals.
“I felt sad for the fans, but the players should feel at ease because they gave it their all against a great team,” Aguirre said. “We’ve laid a solid foundation. It’s very painful because we dreamed and had high hopes. Losing this way hurts a lot. All 26 of us made them very happy.”
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