England survives Azteca curse in 3-2 win over Mexico

Jude Bellingham scored two goals in the space of 98 seconds, Harry Kane converted a penalty while England was down to 10 men, and the Three Lions handed Mexico its first World Cup loss at Estadio Azteca in a wild 3-2 victory Sunday night that sent the hosts crashing out of the tournament they co-hosted.

"It was chaotic, it was courageous, and it immediately entered the ranks of England's greatest victories," said Jonathan Clegg, executive news editor at the Wall Street Journal, who covered the match from Mexico City. "For a team whose signature was bowing out of major tournaments in a storm of self-sabotage, surviving this trip south of the border erased years of heartbreak."

Bellingham stunned the crowd of more than 80,000 at a venue where Mexico was unbeaten in 10 World Cup matches when he scored on a diving header in the 36th minute from a Bukayo Saka cross, then added a second in the 38th minute on a pass from Kane. Julian Quinones pulled one back for El Tri in the 42nd minute, and the game appeared to turn in Mexico's favor when England's Jarell Quansah was sent off in the 54th minute for a dangerous foul on Jesus Gallardo.

But England was awarded a penalty when Mexico goalkeeper Raul Rangel fouled Anthony Gordon, and Kane converted for his sixth goal of this tournament and 14th of his World Cup career, matching Gerd Muller of West Germany for fifth on the all-time scoring list. Kane then conceded a penalty of his own — becoming the first player since at least 1966 to score and concede a spot kick in the same World Cup match — and Raul Jimenez converted with a stutter-step approach to make it 3-2. Mexico attacked relentlessly over the final 21 minutes plus 11 minutes of stoppage time, but goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and England's defenders held steady.

The victory sends England to a quarterfinal against Norway on July 12 in Miami Gardens, Florida, while Mexico exits in the round of 16 for the eighth time since its 1986 quarterfinal appearance. The match had been delayed one hour by an electrical storm that triggered FIFA's lightning safety protocol, requiring a 30-minute clear window after the final detected strike within an eight-mile radius of the stadium. Estadio Azteca's elevation of 2,240 meters — where the thinner air reduces oxygen availability by approximately 20 percent and alters ball physics — had been a pre-match concern for England, though the Three Lions managed to impose their game despite the conditions.

The last time a visiting team won a competitive match at Azteca Stadium was in a 2023 CONCACAF Nations League group stage fixture, underscoring the rarity of England's achievement. Mexico had lost just twice at the venue in competitive matches since the stadium opened in 1966.

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