---
title: "England Survive a Fiery Azteca to Beat Mexico and Set Up a Quarterfinal With Norway"
description: "England beat co-hosts Mexico 3-2 in a five-goal round-of-16 thriller at the Estadio Azteca, holding on with ten men after a second-half red card. A Jude Bellingham double and a Harry Kane penalty proved enough, sending England into a quarterfinal against Norway."
category: "Sports"
category_url: https://newsparlor.com/category/sports
author: "Maya Coleman"
published: 2026-07-06T05:05:00.000Z
updated: 2026-07-06T05:05:00.000Z
canonical: https://newsparlor.com/article/england-survive-a-fiery-azteca-to-beat-mexico-and-set-up-a-quarterfinal-with-nor
tags: ["world-cup", "england", "mexico", "harry-kane", "jude-bellingham"]
---
# England Survive a Fiery Azteca to Beat Mexico and Set Up a Quarterfinal With Norway

England beat co-hosts Mexico 3-2 in a five-goal round-of-16 thriller at the Estadio Azteca, holding on with ten men after a second-half red card. A Jude Bellingham double and a Harry Kane penalty proved enough, sending England into a quarterfinal against Norway.

England came through one of the most testing nights a visiting team can face, beating co-hosts Mexico 3-2 at a raucous Estadio Azteca to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. They did it the hard way, seeing out the closing half-hour a player short after a red card, and holding off wave after wave of Mexican pressure.

## Bellingham lights it up

England made the fast start. Jude Bellingham struck twice inside the first half to put them 2-0 up and briefly quiet the home crowd, [Sky Sports reported](https://www.skysports.com/football/mexico-vs-england/report/549857). Mexico hit back before the break through Julian Quiñones to make it 2-1 and reignite the stadium, setting up a fraught second half.

## Red card, and a decisive penalty

The complexion of the game changed just before the hour. England's Jarell Quansah was sent off for a challenge that a video review confirmed as a red card, leaving England to protect their lead with ten men. Rather than retreat, they landed a further blow when Harry Kane converted a penalty to make it 3-1, [ESPN reported](https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/49283462/world-cup-2026-var-review-quansahs-red-kanes-penalty-did-ref-get-right).

Mexico responded almost immediately, Raúl Jiménez scoring from the penalty spot to pull within a goal at 3-2 and turn the closing stages into a siege. For the remainder of the match, England defended deep and desperately, riding their luck at times but refusing to concede the equalizer.

## Into the last eight

The win takes England into the quarterfinals, where they will meet Norway, the surprise package of the tournament after Erling Haaland's double knocked out Brazil. For a nation whose long wait for a World Cup title stretches back to 1966, it is a significant step, and the manner of it, a backs-to-the-wall victory in hostile surroundings, may matter as much as the result.

Mexico, for their part, exit their home World Cup at the last-16 stage after a spirited effort that came up just short. For England, attention now turns to a quarterfinal against a Norway side brimming with confidence, and to whether a team that just survived the Azteca can go further still.

## Sources

- [Mexico 2-3 England: Three Lions into the quarterfinals](https://www.skysports.com/football/mexico-vs-england/report/549857)
- [World Cup 2026 VAR review: Quansah's red and Kane's penalty](https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/49283462/world-cup-2026-var-review-quansahs-red-kanes-penalty-did-ref-get-right)