England reached the last eight of the 2026 World Cup after a 3-2 victory over Mexico that was as much a test of nerve as of technique. Two goals in 98 seconds from Jude Bellingham late in the first half gave Thomas Tuchel’s side a cushion, but a red card for Jarell Quansah early in the second period and a relentless assault from the host nation turned the Estadio Azteca into a cauldron. Harry Kane’s penalty restored a two-goal lead, yet Raúl Jiménez’s strike ensured the final minutes were played under a state of siege, with England clinging on at altitude in front of 80,000 fans.

Tuchel, the German coach, offered a characteristically unvarnished assessment. While he praised the “pure mentality and heart” of his players, he was blunt about the tactical shortcomings. “I think we can play much better,” he said, highlighting a lack of connection between the lines and poor ball possession that allowed Mexico to exploit gaps. British analysts noted the contrast between the euphoria of survival and the manager’s insistence that the performance fell short of his philosophy, a tension that will shadow the side into the next round.

The evening carried an emotional charge that transcended the scoreline. Tuchel admitted he “almost felt I should apologise” for eliminating Mexico, having witnessed the passion of the home support on the streets and inside the stadium. The match, delayed by a storm, ended with Jordan Henderson suffering a serious wrist injury during the celebrations, a detail that Tuchel said left him with “mixed feelings”. Mexican media reflected on the end of a campaign that had seen the team lose only its third official match at the Azteca, a venue where England’s own history had been scarred by the 1986 quarter-final defeat to Argentina.

England now face Norway in Miami on 11 July, a fixture that has assumed an unexpected shape after the Norwegians eliminated Brazil in the round’s biggest shock. Kane’s sixth goal of the tournament keeps him in the race for the Golden Boot, while Tuchel, having promised a day of rest before studying the next opponent, must find a way to marry the resilience on display in Mexico City with the control his system demands. The quarter-final will be played in the United States, where England’s large travelling support will expect a more complete performance against a side that has already toppled one giant.