England secured a place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a hard-fought 3-2 victory over hosts Mexico in a dramatic Round of 16 encounter at the Azteca Stadium on Sunday.

The match, delayed by an hour due to severe storms, saw Thomas Tuchel’s side produce one of their strongest performances of the tournament to set up a quarter-final clash against Norway.

England took control of the contest before halftime, with Jude Bellingham scoring twice in the space of 98 seconds to hand the Three Lions a commanding lead.

Mexico responded through Julián Quiñones just before the break to keep the hosts in contention heading into the second half.

England’s task became more difficult shortly after the restart when defender Jarell Quansah was shown a red card for a high challenge on Jesús Gallardo, reducing the visitors to 10 men.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, England restored their two-goal cushion when captain Harry Kane converted a penalty after Anthony Gordon was brought down by Mexico goalkeeper Raúl Rangel.

Mexico were handed a lifeline when Kane conceded a penalty at the other end, allowing Raúl Jiménez to score from the spot and cut the deficit to 3-2.

The hosts piled on the pressure in the closing stages, but goalkeeper Jordan Pickford produced a series of vital saves to keep England in front. Tuchel also reinforced his defence by switching to a five-man backline as England successfully navigated 11 minutes of stoppage time.

The victory ends Mexico’s World Cup campaign on home soil, while England advance to the quarter-finals, where they will face Norway for a place in the last four.