England delivered one of their greatest ever victories as they beat Mexico 3-2 at the iconic Azteca Stadium to reach the World Cup quarter-finals.
The win, which sends England through to face Norway in Miami on Saturday, is being hailed as arguably their finest result since lifting the World Cup at Wembley in 1966.
Thomas Tuchel’s side overcame extraordinary obstacles throughout the evening, including altitude above 7,000 feet, a one-hour weather delay, and a red card for Jarell Quansah early in the second half.
Jude Bellingham was the standout performer, scoring twice and producing a complete all-round display that had pundits running out of superlatives in the aftermath.
Mexico had lost only two of 89 competitive games at the Azteca before this match, a record that underlines just how remarkable England’s achievement truly was.
The atmosphere inside the stadium was described as spine-tingling, with supporters lining roads five hours before kick-off and some Mexico fans in tears during the national anthem.
Harry Kane scored the decisive goal from the penalty spot to make it 3-1, though Raul Jimenez pulled one back late on to set up a nerve-shredding finish that stretched to 11 added minutes.
Tuchel reacted to the final whistle by grabbing Bellingham in sheer joy before the pair collapsed into each other’s arms, capturing the raw emotion of a famous night.
Former England captain Alan Shearer told BBC Sport: “Those players have represented their country in magnificent form. Every single player had the right attitude. Everything that could have gone against them, everything that was thrown at them — the energy, the altitude — they have got past all of that and they deserved it. That is an incredible performance from start to finish.”
Bellingham, collecting the man of the match award, said: “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. I am so proud of this team. What we have done is spectacular.”
Tuchel also drew praise for his tactical substitutions after Quansah’s dismissal, bringing on John Stones to replace Bukayo Saka before later introducing Dan Burn and Djed Spence to form a back five.
Shearer added: “When England were under the cosh, the manager made the right substitutions. The subs came on and they did their job. What an incredible night.”
Jordan Pickford also played a pivotal role, producing two magnificent first-half saves from Jimenez and equalling Peter Shilton’s record of 17 World Cup appearances in the process.
Pickford said: “It was unreal. A lot of emotions, a lot of positives. We showed resilience, showed character. It wasn’t pretty at times. It just had everything that puts you on the edge of your seat.”
Former England defender Micah Richards told BBC Sport: “Bellingham is just an absolute superstar. He always turns up, always gives 100%. He has the confidence that some might say is arrogance but you need that. When he puts on an England shirt he just seems to go up a level.”
Tuchel, whose mission when succeeding Sir Gareth Southgate was to “put a second star on the shirt,” said: “It was beautiful to see — players proud to play for their country. When I ask them to do anything they just do it. What drama from the first minute. What a crazy game. What an emotional rollercoaster. There is a lot to love about this team.”
Kane, who now has six World Cup goals from this tournament, said: “So many heroes out there. I spoke after the last game about hero moments, but the whole team were heroes here. This was one of my favourite nights in my career.”
