England reach quarter-finals, leaving Mexico in tears
A Jubilant England after beating Mexico at the Azteca Stadium. Photo Reuters.
In a dramatic match at the Azteca Stadium, Jude Bellingham's brace powered England into the quarter-finals after a thrilling 3-2 victory over the hosts, Mexico.
The two sides faced off at the Azteca Stadium with a spot in the quarter-finals on the line.
Along with the heat and altitude, England had to battle against over 80,000 passionate Mexican supporters packing the stadium.
The drama began just one minute into the match when England star Declan Rice picked up a yellow card for a foul. For the first 35 minutes, the hosts completely dominated proceedings, rattling the English defense with relentless attacks.
However, England took the lead against the run of play through a brilliant counter-attack. Jude Bellingham found the back of the net with a header to put Harry Kane's side 1-0 up.
Bellingham connected perfectly with Bukayo Saka's cross in the 36th minute to score his third goal of the tournament.
Just a minute later, Bellingham struck again to double England's advantage in the 38th minute. Assisted by Harry Kane, the Real Madrid star netted his fourth goal of the ongoing campaign.
Refusing to back down, the hosts pulled one back within two minutes of conceding the second. Julian Quinones scored in the 42nd minute, sending Mexico into the halftime break trailing 2-1.
Much like the early stages of the first half, Mexico started the second half with relentless pressure, heavily testing the English defense and goalkeeper.
Red card! And once again, VAR was in the spotlight!! After a VAR review, the referee showed a red card to England defender Jarell Quansah.
Despite the setback, England earned a penalty after a foul inside the box. Captain Harry Kane stepped up and confidently converted from the spot.
Kane's goal stretched England's lead to 3-1.
The drama continued in this chaotic fixture with yet another VAR intervention. This time, Kane committed a foul inside his own box, awarding a penalty to Mexico.
Raul Jimenez made no mistake from the spot in the 69th minute to bring the score to 3-2.
England managed to hold onto their 3-2 lead until the very end, finally breaking their 40-year curse at the Azteca Stadium.
Some Match Timeline
07:13 AM | English defense under siege from relentless Mexican attacks
Mexico has been testing the English defense right from the kickoff. England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford is being kept incredibly busy, pulling off save after save to deny the hosts.
07:26 AM | England takes the lead against the run of play
GOAL! England breaks the deadlock with a brilliant counter-attack. Jude Bellingham finds the back of the net with a header to put Harry Kane's side 1-0 up. In the 36th minute, Bellingham connects perfectly with a cross from Bukayo Saka, marking his third goal of the World Cup.
07:38 AM | England flying high after Bellingham's second
GOAL! Bellingham strikes again just moments later. England doubles their lead in the 38th minute. Assisted by Harry Kane, the Real Madrid star nets his second of the match and fourth of the tournament. England is cruising with a 2-0 lead.
07:41 AM | Mexico pulls one back
GOAL! The floodgates have opened at the Azteca Stadium. Just two minutes after falling behind by two, the hosts answer back. Julian Quinones scores in the 42nd minute to bring Mexico back into the game at 2-1.
07:43 AM | England leads 2-1 after a dramatic first half
The World Cup witnesses a wild first half at the Azteca Stadium. While Mexico dominated the attacking stats early on, England took the lead against the grain in the 36th minute through Bellingham, who scored again just two minutes later. Quinones’ 42nd-minute strike gives the hosts a glimmer of hope. Mexico created a few more chances just before the whistle, but England holds onto their 2-1 lead heading into the interval.
07:51 AM | Mexico maintains attacking dominance in the second half
Just like the opening minutes of the match, Mexico starts the second half on the front foot. The Mexican attackers are putting the English defense and goalkeeper through a stern test. England still leads 2-1.
08:12 AM | Straight red card for Quansah
RED CARD! VAR takes center stage once again. After a formal video review, the referee shows a straight red card to England defender Jarell Quansah. England is reduced to 10 men but still holds a 2-1 advantage.
08:18 AM | Kane extends England's lead to 3-1
GOAL! England is awarded a penalty after a foul inside the box. Captain Harry Kane steps up to the spot and calmly converts, stretching the Three Lions' lead to 3-1.
08:24 AM | Jimenez scores to close the gap for Mexico
GOAL! More VAR drama in this chaotic fixture. Kane commits a foul inside his own box, and Mexico is awarded a penalty. Raul Jimenez steps up and converts from the spot in the 69th minute, making it 3-2 as Mexico chases the equalizer.
