England produced a historic 2-1 victory over Mexico at the Azteca Stadium, overcoming a red card, a penalty against them, and the challenges of high altitude. Jude Bellingham scored both goals in the first half, then dropped back to help the 10-man team defend for the last 30 minutes after Jarell Quansah was sent off for a bad tackle. The win snaps England’s pattern of losing World Cup matches in difficult conditions, such as the defeats to Argentina in 1986 (Hand of God) and Portugal in 2006 (Wayne Rooney’s red card).
Bellingham’s Brilliance and Defensive Grit
Bellingham, 23, from Stourbridge, opened the scoring with a clinical finish and added a second before halftime. After Quansah’s red card and a VAR-awarded penalty against Harry Kane (which Mexico missed), England shifted to a 5-3-1 formation. Thomas Tuchel’s tactical gamble paid off as defenders like Dan Burn threw themselves in front of shots, including blocking a Raúl Jiménez bicycle kick. Anthony Gordon also impressed, justifying his transfer to Barcelona with a lively performance.
Historical Context and Attitude Shift
England’s previous World Cup red cards (Beckham in 1998, Rooney in 2006) led to defeats. This time, the team showed resilience. Tuchel criticized the officials but praised his players’ spirit. The match was delayed an hour due to storms, adding to the difficulty. Bellingham cheekily told fans back home watching in the early hours to “have another shot” and text their bosses to skip work, encapsulating the defiant mood.
Other Matches and Controversy
In other last-16 action, Portugal beat Spain 2-1, and the USA defeated Belgium 3-2. A controversy erupted when FIFA suspended Folarin Balogun’s one-match ban after three calls from Donald Trump, allowing the striker to play. Rudi Garcia, Belgium’s coach, fumed: “I didn’t know 5 July was equal to 1 April at FIFA.” UEFA also criticized the decision, saying it crossed a red line for fair competition.
