Konsa credits England 'brotherhood' after 10-man Three Lions survive Azteca thriller to beat Mexico

England survived a red card, high altitude, a hostile crowd and 11 minutes of stoppage time to beat Mexico 3-2 in their World Cup last-16 tie at the Estadio Azteca, with defender Ezri Konsa pointing to a collective “brotherhood” as the driving force behind Thomas Tuchel’s side.

Konsa was one of the central figures in England’s defensive rearguard, shifting from centre-back to right-back after Jarell Quansah was dismissed in the second half. The match had already been disrupted by an hour-long delay to kick-off, and England were forced to hold on against a fervent home crowd before eventually sealing a place in the next round.

“One hundred per cent, it was a brotherhood, you saw that today, the effort we had to put in,” Konsa said. “Certain players were changing positions, like myself, and putting in a shift. If you want to go far in the tournament, it’s what you have to do.”

Konsa also singled out the contributions of substitutes Dan Burn and John Stones, who came on to shore up England’s defensive shape in the closing stages. “The boss had to make some changes, I thought Dan Burn and John Stones were excellent when they came on. Having those kinds of players to come on and help us was a great feeling.”

Reflecting on the tension of the final minutes, Konsa added: “The only thing we were thinking was to show our togetherness, to show how good we can be together defensively. I am sure at home it was an amazing game to watch but on the pitch it was a long one, especially when there are 11 minutes added on, but we had to show our strength, show our grit. Really proud of the boys and on to the next one.”

Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was another standout performer, equalling Peter Shilton’s record of 17 World Cup appearances for England with a series of crucial saves. Konsa was effusive in his praise: “As a defender having a world-class keeper behind you is always a good thing, we know how good he is. The amount of appearances he has made for England is for a reason, so happy with his performance and ours at the same time.”

The victory, achieved with ten men and under considerable physical and atmospheric pressure, reinforced the togetherness Tuchel has repeatedly emphasised as a cornerstone of his England tenure.