England’s stunning 3-2 win over Mexico at the Azteca has sparked fierce debate about where it ranks among the Three Lions’ finest ever results.
The victory was all the more remarkable given that Jarell Quansah was sent off in the 54th minute, leaving England to see out the game with 10 men.
Jude Bellingham’s first-half double and Harry Kane’s penalty proved enough, as England secured their place in the World Cup quarter-finals in extraordinary fashion.
Mexico had played 89 competitive games at the Azteca before this match, losing only twice, to Costa Rica in 2001 and Honduras in 2013, both in World Cup qualifying.
The hosts had won 16 and drawn six of their 22 games at the stadium since that last defeat, and their four World Cup matches this tournament had all ended in clean-sheet victories.
The stadium sits 7,220 feet above sea level, a challenge that had led many to believe Mexico’s home advantage would prove decisive against the visitors.
England have now beaten the World Cup hosts for only the second time, the first occasion being their victory over Switzerland back in 1954.
For sheer drama and difficulty, comparisons to the Germany 1-5 England result in Munich in 2001 are already being drawn, when Michael Owen’s hat-trick stunned the football world in a World Cup qualifier.
England’s 2-3 win in Seville against Spain in 2018 is another strong contender, coming against a side that had not lost a competitive home game in 15 years, with Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford among the scorers.
Glenn Hoddle’s side also produced a legendary away performance in Rome in 1997, holding Italy to a 0-0 draw to seal qualification for France 98, a game remembered for Paul Ince’s bloodied head bandage.
Ron Greenwood’s England won 3-1 in Budapest in 1981 against a Hungary side who were World Cup regulars, with Trevor Brooking scoring twice and Kevin Keegan converting a penalty in front of 70,000 fans.
Going all the way back to 1888, England hammered Scotland 5-0 at Hampden Park in the British Home Championship, with Fred Dewhurst, Tinsley Lindley, Dennis Hodgetts, and John Goodall all on the scoresheet.
Beyond away results, England’s greatest moment remains the 1966 World Cup final victory over West Germany, with Geoff Hurst scoring the only hat-trick by a player from the winning side in a World Cup final.
Other memorable victories include the 4-1 destruction of the Netherlands at Euro 96, the 2-0 win over Germany at Euro 2020, and David Beckham’s penalty winner against Argentina at the 2002 World Cup in Japan.
The Mexico win, achieved against the odds, at altitude, with 10 men, and against a host nation in imperious form, will be discussed alongside the very best of those moments for years to come.
