England's 3-2 win over Mexico witnessed from the heart of a 25,000-strong street party in Mexico City

England’s 3-2 World Cup win over Mexico played out not just on the pitch but in front of 25,000 passionate locals gathered around four giant screens at Mexico City’s Angel of Independence — and Mirror journalist David Raven was among them, on a detour from his honeymoon.

The Angel of Independence, the city’s spiritual home for major football celebrations, was chosen as an alternative to the official FIFA fan zone three miles away, after a crowd crush had marred post-match scenes following Mexico’s earlier victory over Ecuador. Security capped attendance at 25,000, with guards manning four separate barriers and attempting to confiscate alcohol on entry.

Despite a lightning storm overhead, the atmosphere inside was one of colour and noise. Fans in green shirts sang, danced, and played with spray foam throughout. Every few minutes, strangers would launch someone into the air and catch them safely — a recurring ritual that seemed to capture the mood of the night.

Raven counted around ten England shirts visible in front of the screens during the match. Rather than being jeered, those supporters were pulled into chants, tossed into the air alongside the locals, and swept into a conga line. Not a single incident of trouble was reported in the area.

Every twist in England’s rollercoaster victory — a result that eliminated the host nation — was met with a wall of noise from a crowd that never stopped fighting for their team. Before kick-off, Mexicans delivered a fierce rendition of their national anthem, yet the evening that followed was defined by warmth rather than hostility.

Mexico’s World Cup run is now over, but the manner in which the country hosted the tournament — and the grace with which its fans absorbed a painful defeat — left a lasting impression on those who witnessed it from the streets of the capital.