World Cup: 10-man England eliminate Mexico to storm quarter-finals
By Luke Oluoch, July 6, 2026Ten-man England advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup after surviving a scare to dump out co-hosts Mexico at the Azteca Stadium on Monday, July 6, 2026.
Goals from Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane proved enough to get Thomas Tuchel’s men over the line in a thrilling 3-2 victory against the hard-fighting hosts, who hit back twice through Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez.
Jarell Quansah was given his marching orders with a straight red card in the 54th minute, leaving England to protect a slim advantage for almost the entire second half.
However, Tuchel’s charges proved equal to the challenge, keeping El Tri at bay with a resolute defensive shape after John Stones was brought on to shore up the rearguard.
England ultimately held on for their most important win of the tournament yet, surviving a tense 11 minutes of stoppage time to eliminate the co-hosts.
The encounter, heavily influenced by the high altitude of the Azteca, opened as a cagey affair with both sides adopting a cautious defensive shape. The hosts eventually went for the jugular, but the English backline remained resolute.
Bellingham’s opener
The breakthrough came toward the end of the first half when Jude Bellingham latched onto Bukayo Saka’s cross to open the scoring with a diving header.
The Real Madrid ace quickly made it 2-0 for the Three Lions, sweeping the ball home under pressure from a Harry Kane cross across the goalmouth after England’s high press caught the Mexicans napping just 97 seconds after the opener.
The stage for a grandstand second half was set when Julián Quiñones pulled one back for the hosts just before the break, striking home from a half-cleared ball following a free-kick from the right wing.
Quansah red card
The tense second half kicked off with Quansah receiving his dismissal for a studs-up challenge on a Mexican winger, a decision the referee arrived at after a video assistant referee (VAR) review.
Buoyed by the numerical advantage, Javier Aguirre’s side threw everything they had at the English side, prompting Tuchel to bring on John Stones for Saka immediately after the dismissal to secure the win.
Last-minute drama
The drama was far from over as England added to their lead from the spot courtesy of skipper Kane after Anthony Gordon was taken down by goalkeeper Raul Rangel.
With their two-goal cushion back in tact, England suffered another blow after the VAR team called for a penalty against Kane, who was judged to have kicked through Brian Gutierrez while making a clearance inside the box.
Jimenez stepped up to beat Jordan Pickford and restore the 3-2 score line.
Quarterfinalist
The tense finale saw Mexicans launch an array of attacks as England’s revamped back line stayed unmoved, with Pickford claiming crucial blocks as the game wore on.
The English faithful breathed a sigh of relief on the full-time whistle as the Azteca sank in disappointment as the Mexicans bid the tournament goodbye.
England now heads to the quarterfinal, where they will face off against Norway for a place in the semifinals in Miami on Saturday.
Erling Haaland led Norway to a memorable 2-1 win over Brazil in an earlier round of 16 clash.