England hands Mexico their first World Cup loss at Estadio Azteca, winning 3-2 to reach the 2026 quarterfinals.Published On 6 Jul 20266 Jul 2026Jude Bellingham’s double inflicted a rare defeat on Mexico at their Estadio Azteca as 10-man England won a nerve-racking World Cup classic 3-2 to reach the quarterfinals.Harry Kane also scored from the penalty spot as the Three Lions overcame Jarell Quansah’s red card, high altitude, and a fervent home support on Sunday to keep their quest for a first major tournament win in 60 years alive.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listEngland have relied on Bellingham and Kane throughout the tournament, and the duo has carried them into a last-eight showdown with Erling Haaland’s Norway.Bellingham struck twice in 98 seconds in the first half to condemn Mexico to just a third defeat in 90 matches at the Azteca.Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez reduced the Mexican arrears, but they fell short of a place in the quarterfinals.Victory also helped to erase some of England’s nightmarish memories at the Azteca in the quarterfinals of the 1986 World Cup, when Diego Maradona scored a double for Argentina, including the infamous “Hand of God” goal.Sunday’s match was delayed by an hour after a thunderstorm and heavy rain lashed the Mexican capital for hours before the planned 6pm (00:00 GMT) kickoff time.Despite the sodden conditions, more than 80,000 fans crammed into the stadium to create a deafening noise.England coach Thomas Tuchel was wary of a fast start from Mexico as his side adjusted to the altitude of 2,240 metres (7,350 feet) above sea level.Mexico had flown …
