“That is the thing I dream of being a part of this England squad, bringing my country together, giving them nights like this that they will enjoy for many years to come,” Jude Bellingham reflected at the final whistle.
Yet, this was a match beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.
Mexico rattled off 20 shots, had 37 touches in England’s box and played with a man advantage for more than 40 minutes, yet still suffered just the national team’s third ever loss at the Estadio Azteca in a bonkers 3–2 reverse on Sunday night.
The World Cup round of 16 tie delayed by an hour due to severe weather was well worth the wait. The electricity in the clouds was simply translated to the pitch in a beguiling back-and-forth played at a concussive tempo.
England raced into a two-goal lead thanks to a pair of Bellingham goals in the space of two first-half minutes. The first player to score a World Cup brace in Mexico City since Diego Maradona was a force of nature throughout, dramatically clearing the ball off the laces of César Montes on the cusp of halftime as Mexico went in search of a second following Julián Quiñones’s thunderous strike in the 42nd minute.
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Trailing 2–1 as the second half kicked off, Mexico was given a way back into the contest by Jarell Quansah’s deserved red card for a reckless lunge on Jesús Gallardo. At a time when England should have theoretically sat back, Anthony Gordon won a penalty, which Harry Kane nervelessly converted on the hour mark.
Once Raúl Jiménez reduced the deficit to 3–2 in the 69th minute with his own spot kick, England took its cue to defend what it had. The following half-hour—including 11 minutes of stoppage time—passed in a blur as Mexico battered at a door the Three Lions refused to open.
By the end of a breathless affair, Mexico had been dealt its first ever World Cup defeat at the Estadio Azteca, while England booked a spot in the quarterfinals against Norway. “I am so proud of this team,” Bellingham beamed. He was not the only one.
