Tuchel rages at referee after 10-man England survive Azteca scare to reach World Cup quarter-finals

Thomas Tuchel tore into referee Alireza Faghani and his VAR team after England survived a dramatic 3-2 last-16 victory over Mexico at the Estadio Azteca on Sunday, advancing to a World Cup quarter-final against Norway, who earlier shocked Brazil 2-1.

England were reduced to ten men when Jarell Quansah was sent off following a VAR review, and were also penalised via video intervention for a foul by Harry Kane — two decisions that left Tuchel incensed at full time.

“It’s just not good enough,” Tuchel said. “The referees are just not good enough, fourth officials are just not good enough. That’s the bottom line. Three people in the VAR from South America in a match like this. VAR overturns — is this a clear and obvious error for the penalty? For sure not. They overturned a situation where [the referee] doesn’t even give a foul.”

BBC Sport pundit Joe Hart pushed back on Tuchel’s assessment. “I think he has got that wrong,” Hart said. “I don’t know why he has gone so hard on that after such an impressive performance. I get it, against all the odds — the red card and the penalties — but I don’t think they were borderline decisions. I thought they were decent decisions in the end.”

The match, delayed an hour by thunderstorms, was only the third competitive defeat Mexico have suffered at the Azteca in 89 matches since 1966. The co-hosts arrived in the last 16 having beaten Ecuador 2-0 for their first knockout-stage win in 40 years, and their fanatical support raised the atmosphere to a fever pitch from the first whistle.

England’s player of the match Jude Bellingham broke the deadlock with a diving header from Bukayo Saka’s cross just past the half-hour, then doubled the lead within two minutes after a swift right-flank move that Kane helped create. Jordan Pickford made several crucial saves throughout, including a brilliant stop from Raul Jimenez’s diving header, and equalled Peter Shilton’s record of 17 World Cup appearances for England’s men’s team in the process.

Kane, who was at the centre of the penalty controversy, reflected on a gruelling evening. “It was a crazy game. We had to fight. We had to find something. The occasion, the team, everything against us. We found a way.”

England now face Norway in the quarter-finals after the Scandinavians produced one of the tournament’s biggest upsets by eliminating Brazil 2-1 earlier on Sunday.