England Advances 3-2 in the Game of the Tournament

Published: Monday, July 6, 2026

by Lauren Reese

No team has played more World Cup games at a stadium without losing, than Mexico at the Estadio Azteca. Yet the English national team put a conclusion date to that historic fact, prevailing over Mexico 3-2. With the haunting reminders of the Diego Maradona “Hand of God” goal staring down England, 40 years ago in this very stadium, it was only natural the Sunday night Round of 16 was to be this very duel.

The most intimidating aspect of the matchup, to the horror of one team and the pleasure of the other, was not the implications of the game, or the history on the line. It was not the altitude disparity of about 7,000 feet for one team, and the home turf for another. It was the Azteca itself. The fortress that is Estadio Azteca, contains towering seating sections that seemingly rise straight up from the soil. 88,0000 fans staring down the match in front of them. This place is a Gladiator battle, in the heart of The Colosseum, where after an hour long rain delay, the Mexican faithful were more than prepared for their battle against the small but mighty section of English supporters. The aura of the Azteca oozes in physicality and dirtiness. It’s a behemoth to play there, with oftentimes aggression and attacks emerging at a startling rate. With that being said, high-tempo, active movement, and adjustment, quickly were defining traits of this game. England found productive opportunities on the long ball, as opposed to the short and technical passing of Mexico.

Yet it was in the 36th minute, where England’s Jude Bellingham found himself wide open on the receiving end of a cross. He squared his body and shoulders toward the goal, and headed the ball past Mexico goalkeeper Raul Rangel. The fortress of the Azteca had been penetrated by the claws of its opponents. But the English domination wouldn’t stop there. 90 seconds later, after rough touches made way for a Mexican defense collapse after kickoff, the ball gravitated towards Bellingham again, this time courtesy of an extra pass from captain Harry Kane. Bellingham’s touch propelled his team up two goals to none. The roar from the Lions, and the rain from before, had soaked Mexico in utter shock. At least, for six minutes it did.

On a free kick about 30 feet outside of the penalty box, Julian Quinones found himself wide open after some bobbles of the ball in the box. Quinones’s slam past Pickford gave his team a sliver of hope, propelling his team, the supporters around him, and Mexico City itself, back into this matchup. For the remainder of the first half, Pickford was facing shots on frame relentlessly, as the momentum had flown off the shoulders of England, and back onto Mexico. England looked on edge, and not even ten minutes ago, were on cloud nine.

And suddenly, it was halftime, to the relief of the English faithful. And while the Mexican National Team looked to be back in the groove, it was officially the first time they had gone behind in a World Cup game in their stadium,   2-1.

Out of the break, England found their footing, and had two incredible chances that could have put them up even more; an unanswered cross into the middle could not be slotted home, and a shot ricocheted off the side post. While Bellingham wasn’t able to find the back of the net, he tore up the field with his constant ball pressure, presence, and overall intimidation. Only 23 years old, and with four goals in four World Cup games, the Stourbridge native found himself comfortable amid the intense showdown. But Bellingham and England’s control would soon become halted, as Jarell Quansah, in a faulty attempt to slide tackle the ball away from his opponent, was sent off after VAR concluded he would receive a straight red card, in the 54th minute; England would now be playing with 10 men. But while still being down a goal, Mexico were seemingly back in control of this matchup. At least, for six minutes they were.

A Pickford long ball found Anthony Gordon tearing down the field into the penalty box. Rangel came out to try and grab the ball, but lost sight of his objective, and took down his opponent right inside the box. As quickly as their hopes were dimmed, England now found a sense of rejuvenation, with a penalty kick being awarded to them. Kane’s 85th international goal had no hesitation, no slow build-up, stutter-step, or light jog. It was a ferocious slam into the back netting, putting his team up 3-1. A combination of beer and light rain soaked the opponents, but the English were up.

Momentum was now back in England’s favor, but we’ve seen these games before; in fact, it was minutes ago in the same game. It wasn’t a question of if Mexico could get back into this one, but when. It took nine minutes, as opposed to the previous six, but a Kane high foot in the penalty box awarded El Tri with their own penalty kick. While Pickford guessed the right way, Jimenez's 69th minute kick, one of slow build-up and stutter-step, put Mexico within one of tying the game. 

From that point on, we saw a much different type of Mexican National Team stylistically. Pouring shots on from all over the field, forgoing their initial style of tight and short passes, this Mexican team was set on posing as a relentless nuisance to England; sending plenty of players to be on the receiving ends of crosses, speeding past their opponent’s backline to take shots, and crowding the box on set pieces. But their attempts were to no avail, despite how threatening they were. Time ticked by, and England became moments, minutes, and seconds away from being the third team to win a competitive match against Mexico in Azteca. Even with 11 minutes of stoppage time, the Three Lions were able to keep the ball away from the feet of Mexican players through long balls, concise dribbling, and running all around the field. The whistle blew, and in one of the greatest World Cup games I have ever witnessed, the Three Lions prevailed over El Tri.

An altitude adjustment of + 7,170 feet, playing a man down, and in one of the world’s most intimidating stadiums, was not enough to prevent this English team from success. A team, a fanbase, and a nation, desperate for a shot at a trophy after years of disappointment and lackluster results, are one step closer to this reality. As Wonderwall by Oasis echoed through the walls of Estadio Azteca, the separate section of England supporters sang proudly in unison with their national team. There’s still plenty of soccer to be played by this English team, but these fans had no doubt in their mind, even surrounded by the relentless intimidation and powerful passion from those dressed in green and white, that Bellingham, Kane, Pickford, Gordon, and everyone else, were “gonna be the ones that save” them, on a fateful rainy night in Mexico City.

England will take on Norway in a quarterfinal matchup Saturday, July 11, at 5:00 PM. For updates on the World Cup follow wsou news on instagram or reach out to Lauren Reese at lauren.reese@student.shu.edu for more information.

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