Rooney's blunt verdict on past England teams after Bellingham's World Cup dig

Wayne Rooney delivered a pointed assessment of past England generations after Jude Bellingham’s post-match remarks following England’s 3-2 victory over Mexico at the Azteca Stadium, which sealed a 2026 World Cup quarter-final place against Norway.

Bellingham scored twice in the first half of a pulsating encounter before Julian Quinones pulled one back for the hosts. Harry Kane converted a penalty to restore England’s two-goal cushion, but Raul Jimenez also scored from the spot after Jarell Quansah was sent off shortly after half-time, leaving England to defend with ten men for more than 30 minutes.

Named Player of the Match, Bellingham reflected on the team’s resilience under pressure. “With ten men, defending like we did around our box, and being clinical when we got into theirs in big pressure moments,” the 23-year-old Real Madrid midfielder said. “Maybe in years gone by, and I know especially me watching as a fan when I was a kid, England would have crumbled. But this team stuck together right until the last second.”

Rooney, responding to those comments, did not spare his former international teammates. “We didn’t crumble, we never showed up,” he told the BBC — a characteristically blunt line that drew a sharp distinction between the current squad and the England sides of his era.

Bellingham also urged supporters to savour the moment, describing the atmosphere in England as “carnage” and expressing pride in the team’s ability to unite the country. “That is the thing I dream of, being a part of this England squad, bringing my country together, giving them nights like this,” he said.

It is the 11th time England have reached the World Cup quarter-finals. Gareth Southgate’s side reached the semi-finals at Russia 2018, while England’s only World Cup triumph came in 1966, when they beat West Germany 4-2 at Wembley. The quarter-final against Norway now awaits Thomas Tuchel’s side.