Bellingham inspires 10-man England to 3-2 win over Mexico in World Cup last-16 thriller
England defeated Mexico 3-2 in a dramatic World Cup last-16 match at the Estadio Azteca, with Jude Bellingham scoring twice and Harry Kane adding a penalty, despite playing with 10 men after a red card.
England secured a gripping 3-2 victory over Mexico at the Estadio Azteca on Sunday to advance to the World Cup quarter-finals. The match was delayed by an hour due to a thunderstorm and heavy rain that lashed Mexico City for hours before the scheduled 6pm kick-off.
Jude Bellingham scored two goals in 98 seconds during the first half, heading in a cross from Bukayo Saka and then slotting home a pass from Harry Kane. Kane also scored from the penalty spot after Anthony Gordon was fouled by Mexico goalkeeper Raul Rangel. England played with 10 men from the 54th minute after defender Jarell Quansah was shown a straight red card following a VAR review for a reckless challenge on Jesus Gallardo.
Despite being a man down, England extended its lead to 3-0, but Mexico fought back with goals from Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez, the latter converting a penalty after Kane was penalized for a foul in his own box. England held on during 11 minutes of stoppage time to reach a third consecutive World Cup quarter-final.
Coach Thomas Tuchel made three changes to the starting lineup, including deploying Quansah at right-back due to Reece James's ongoing fitness issues. The match took place at an altitude of 2,240 meters above sea level, with over 80,000 fans creating a noisy atmosphere. England will now face Norway in the quarter-finals.
