Bellingham's brace and Kane's penalty fire England past Mexico at the Azteca

England beat Mexico 3-2 at the Azteca Stadium in the early hours of Monday morning to advance to the World Cup 2026 quarter-finals, with Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane the architects of a hard-fought last-16 victory over the tournament co-hosts.

Bellingham struck twice in as many minutes before half-time, set up by Bukayo Saka and Kane respectively, to put Thomas Tuchel’s side in control. Mexico pulled one back just before the break, and the tie turned further when defender Jarell Quansah was sent off for a wild challenge in the second half. Kane responded immediately, converting a penalty — his sixth goal of the tournament — after Anthony Gordon was brought down in the box to restore a 3-1 lead.

Mexico then won a penalty of their own to make it 3-2, setting up a nervy final half-hour that stretched to 11 minutes of stoppage time. England held firm, however, sealing a famous win at the iconic venue and booking a quarter-final meeting with Norway.

The Mexican press was largely generous in defeat, reserving particular praise for Bellingham. Excelsior called it an overall “great performance” by the 1966 world champions, writing: “The power of Jude Bellingham, the strength of Harry Kane and England’s defensive prowess were like iron hammers that demolished Mexico’s World Cup dreams. Jude Bellingham had warned everyone he wasn’t going to be taken lightly. The Real Madrid attacker is an unstoppable force when he’s facing the goal.”

The publication also acknowledged England’s resilience in the closing stages: “With sheer heart and grit, England endured the final 20 minutes huddled in their own half. Pickford narrowed the angle, and five defenders, supported by Bellingham and Gordon, shut down the defence.”

El Universal drew on pre-match comments from Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, who had warned that clinical efficiency defines the best teams. “Jude Bellingham left them a reminder with his brace,” the outlet wrote, adding that “Mexico’s vast possession became merely a statistic” in the face of England’s cutting edge.

England will now face Norway in the quarter-finals as they bid to go deep into a World Cup held, in part, on the soil of one of the teams they have just eliminated.