England reached the World Cup quarter-finals after a thrilling victory in Mexico City at the Estadio Azteca.
Jude Bellingham scored twice and Harry Kane scored from the penalty spot. It was a night when the back-to-back European Championship finalists faced all kinds of obstacles. Kick-off was delayed by an hour, Jarrell Quansah was sent off, there was a commotion on the touchline, a VAR controversy and a raucous and hostile atmosphere. Oh, and the altitude too. Don’t forget the altitude.
In the end, Thomas Tuchel’s men did what they had to do. They scored three goals, played some decent football in parts and did it when they really needed to dig in and defend – especially in the final half-hour after former Liverpool defender Quansah was given his marching orders.
A date with Norway in Miami was a treat as England kept their quest for World Cup glory on track despite the best efforts of Raul Jimenez and others.
Here are eight talking points from the Three Lions’ 3-2 success.
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1. Atijud
It has taken time, but there is no doubt that Thomas Tuchel likes Jude Bellingham’s attitude. He did not like some of the performative players in the Real Madrid star’s squad early in his tenure and said some things that perhaps were not needed at the time, leading to the obvious suggestion that Bellingham might not be in the starting XI for the final.
Quite simply, that can never happen. As good as Morgan Rodgers is and has been at Aston Villa, and as much as Tuchel likes him, Bellingham is operating at a completely different level and the England manager knows that for this team to do what he wants to do, he needs the Stourbridge-born star to be at his best.
At Estadio Azteca, Bellingham took center stage. He dominated, showed his ability, scored twice, produced moments of breathtaking quality and worked hard to ensure England’s place in the last eight.
Manager and Starman are on the same page. They were always meant to be. And with the number 10 back in the team, Bellingham’s talent is proving to be a boon for Tuchel. He won man of the match awards in four of the five games and gave his all for his teammates.
“There’s a reason he’s a global superstar,” Anthony Gordon declared after the game. “He’s 23 years old. What he’s achieved so far is amazing. And more importantly, forget about football. He’s a unique person. He’s very humble. He always puts the youth first. He makes people feel special. You listen to him talk to the other players, you listen to what he says. He’s just an incredible person.”
Jude Bellingham celebrates scoring in England vs. Mexico. (Image: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire.)
2. Pickford steps up
If there’s anyone who’s showing where he belongs, it’s Jordan Pickford. England’s number one player, who equaled Peter Shilton’s record of 16 appearances in a World Cup final, had his position questioned after the game against the Democratic Republic of Congo, and was certainly not happy with the goal conceded there.
He is erratic at times and at times seems too desperate to be involved. And of course, there’s the whole “he’s not 6’6” thing, which has been used to bash Thibaut Courtois ever since he questioned his arm length.
But here he was an absolute beast. Yes, he conceded twice, both times out of his control, but Pickford was a huge asset when his country needed him in the Mexican capital. Pickford played a decisive role in the first half, with big saves to deny Raul Jimenez (one high and one low) and excellent command throughout the penalty area.
Now he must focus on stopping Erling Haaland.
Jordan Pickford made some great saves on a big night for the England keeper (Image: 2026 The FA)
3. Lionheart Rice
Declan Rice is not 100 per cent. Everyone knows that. He is dealing with an issue that has kept him playing for some time, but he was in “a lot of pain” after the win against Congo and will have nothing to do but recover from this game before Saturday’s game against Norway.
But what a warrior he is. It was Rice who played a key role in England’s lead in this match, stealing the ball from Pickford and advancing 60 yards for what would eventually become Bellingham’s first goal. Rice was the one putting out the fire in front of the defense. It was Rice who helped the fullbacks on either side by moving his team with the ball, blocking runners, and preventing opposing dangerous men from creating two-on-one situations. There was no chance of him being eliminated out of 10 players, but the margin was too narrow.
He received a warning – perhaps harshly – within the first few minutes, but there was no sign of him picking up a second yellow after that. He was wearing the captain’s armband when the full-time whistle blew after Kane’s substitution.
4. You can’t ignore Saka’s worries.
Another Arsenal player who is not fully fit and has issues is Bukayo Saka. He entered the tournament with an Achilles tendon problem and was left out of the starting lineup until the game against Mexico.
Like Rice, Saka is trying to play through the pain. The problem is that Saka is a player who needs to accelerate and change speed, and who needs to use his burst to move yards or get away from defenders. If you injure your Achilles tendon, it becomes even more difficult.
And unfortunately it is showing up. Here he had his say, scoring the opening goal after Rice had cleared an opponent. But how to change his own pace and get his man done? That hasn’t happened so far. It was no surprise that he was sacrificed when England were down to 10 men.
Hopefully with more days of rest and physical training ahead of the last eight things will get a little better and it will be a little easier. However, since he has lost five games, I am worried that we may not be able to see his best in this tournament.
Bukayo Saka’s Achilles tendon issue appears to still be an issue (Image: 2026 MB Media)
5. The Curse of the Right Back
Reece James, Jed Spence, Jarrell Quansah. Ezri Konsa played in the back five there and finished the night.
The right-back situation is a big problem. Still, England continues to struggle.
Tuchel is hopeful that Reece James will be able to play this weekend. Quansah was suspended after receiving a red card, but Jed Spence, who played here at left-back, has always been in the spotlight for his play in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Bringing in John Stones and pushing Konsa to right-back should be an option this weekend to deal with Norway’s dangerous winger Antonio Nusa.
6. Big Dan Burn proves Tuchel right
Much attention has been focused on the players Tuchel has chosen not to call up, as well as some of the players he has called up. Harry Maguire’s absence was one of the big talking points when Dan Byrne was included.
Some of the more cynical comments about Byrne are that he’s on the team because he’s just a good passenger. He’s happy just being there. Maguire would not have been so happy playing second fiddle.
Well, I wish the great Geordie would shove some of these claims and comments back down people’s throats. When the England squad was down to 10 players, I received an SOS call from the manager. Burn is not needed when England are moving forward, defending high on the halfway line and attacking teams. Do you know where they need him? When your back is against the wall and you have to brace yourself to keep the ball out of your own net by any means necessary (within the rules of the game, of course).
Tuchel did things his way and when he was 3-2 up and man down, his way was to seal the game. It meant the back five were barely clear of their own penalty area, essentially a diamond in front of the penalty area, Rice at the base, Kane at the tip, Bellingham and Gordon on either side, and then attacking…well, not that much. And that meant burn.
Although he started in the 75th minute, he tied for the highest number of clearances with any other player. He did what a manager knows to do. And while Tuchel may continue to have doubts about certain aspects of his team, namely the right-back situation, no one will doubt the giants’ choice of Newcastle United anymore.
Thomas Tuchel and Dan Byrne celebrating (Image: 2026 The FA)
7. Don’t mess with Anthony Barry
He became famous nationally as an assistant coach for the England national team because he expressed his thoughts in the half-time flash interview introduced by FIFA at this tournament.
He doesn’t shy away from them. And Mexico learned that he is not shy on the touchline.
As the Mexican bench roared and yelled at the fourth official to send off Quansah, an irate Barry joined in and spoke, giving England an advantage.
Obviously this didn’t mean much as Quansah was dismissed after VAR intervention. But it says everything about England’s players and staff. They are going to fight whether the odds are in their favor or not.
8. Kane loses it.
Thankfully, we’re only talking about his voice.
What a penalty he got! No doubt about it. No confusion. Old Faithful, pumping his feet and kicking the top of his right foot, he drilled a hole inside the keeper’s right hand post.
He will be looking forward to playing against Norway and a certain No. 9 this weekend. They’re probably two of the best center forwards on the planet right now.
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