Bellingham brace and Kane penalty seal England's 3-2 thriller over Mexico to reach World Cup quarters

England reached the World Cup quarter-finals with a nervy 3-2 victory over co-hosts Mexico at the Azteca Stadium on Sunday, surviving a second-half red card and a late penalty scare to advance.

Jude Bellingham was the architect of the win, scoring twice before the break to become the first player to net a brace at the iconic stadium since Diego Maradona’s famous double against England 40 years ago. Bukayo Saka set up the first of those goals with a precise cross before Mexico pulled one back before half-time, setting the stage for a tense second period.

The tension deepened in the 54th minute when Jarell Quansah was shown a red card, leaving England to defend with ten men. Kane steadied the nerves on the hour mark, converting from the spot after Anthony Gordon was fouled in the penalty area — the captain’s sixth goal of the tournament, moving him to fifth on the all-time World Cup scoring list.

England’s lead was immediately threatened when Kane conceded a penalty of his own nine minutes later, reducing the advantage to a single goal and setting up a fraught final half-hour. The ten men held firm, however, to seal a result that sends them into the last eight.

Saka was withdrawn in the 56th minute following Quansah’s dismissal, while goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was central to keeping Mexico at bay during the closing stages.

The travelling England supporters celebrated loudly at the final whistle, with sections of the crowd singing Wonderwall and Angels in the stands — even as Mexico fans in the tiers above poured drinks down onto the England section.

Partners of several players were present in the stadium. Pickford’s wife Megan shared footage from the family section before kick-off and later reposted her husband’s celebratory post, writing: “No words for your magic tonight.” Saka’s fiancée Tolami Benson, who has 300,000 Instagram followers, posted video of the post-match scenes despite the drink-throwing from above. Kane’s wife Kate posted a selfie captioned: “Let’s gooooo England!!! WHAT A TEAM,” followed by a photo of the couple together in the stands.

England’s next match is a quarter-final against Norway on Saturday.