Gordon laughs off Mexico boss Aguirre's X-rated touchline taunt as a backhanded compliment

Anthony Gordon says he found Mexico coach Javier Aguirre’s viral X-rated touchline outburst amusing, choosing to interpret it as a sign of respect after England’s dramatic 3-2 World Cup last-16 victory at the Estadio Azteca on Sunday.

Footage of Aguirre bellowing Gordon’s name before shouting “f*** you” with a wide grin spread rapidly across social media in the hours after the match, becoming one of several memorable moments from a tense night in Mexico City. Gordon, who joined Barcelona ahead of the tournament, was relaxed about the incident when asked to reflect on it.

“I remembered it,” Gordon said with a laugh. “It’s just a bit of fun. With all the heat and tension around the game, it was a bit of fun. I’d just run the full-back down the line so it was a bit of a compliment from him. That’s how I took it anyway.”

Gordon added that Aguirre struck him as a “good guy” who engaged with both him and Jude Bellingham throughout the match, describing the Mexico manager as a “good character” who reserved even more attention for Bellingham.

“I’ve never argued with a manager,” Gordon said ahead of England’s quarter-final against Norway in Miami. “Usually they say things like that when you’ve done something good and they give me a compliment, or a compliment in not such a nice way like that one. I’ve had it a couple of times.”

The Newcastle forward had endured a quiet start to the tournament but has grown into it over England’s last two fixtures. He registered two assists from the bench in the 2-1 win over DR Congo before earning the match-winning penalty against Mexico, and is expected to retain his place ahead of Marcus Rashford when England face Norway this weekend.

A semi-final berth is at stake, with England chasing only their second World Cup semi-final appearance in eight years. Norway, meanwhile, have never previously reached this stage of the competition.