Jordan Pickford made a string of crucial saves, blocks and punches as England withstood a Mexican onslaught to win 3-2 at the Estadio Azteca and reach the World Cup quarter-finals.
The Everton keeper was forced into repeated action after Jarell Quansah’s 54th-minute red card left England to defend a two-goal lead with 10 men for the remainder of the tie.
Pickford got down well to deny Raul Jimenez inside the opening quarter of an hour, then produced another smart in first-half stoppage. Mexico finished the match with 23 shots to England’s six.
England had led 2-0 inside 38 minutes through a quick-fire Jude Bellingham double, scored 98 seconds apart. Bukayo Saka’s cross was headed home for the opener before Bellingham converted a tap-in after Harry Kane squared the ball from a swift counter-attack.
Julian Quinones halved the deficit four minutes later, converting a volley from a half-cleared free-kick.
Down to ten…
Quansah’s dismissal, given after a VAR review for a high challenge on Jesus Gallardo, threatened to swing the tie back towards the hosts.
Kane restored the two-goal cushion from the penalty spot moments later, after Raul Rangel had brought down Anthony Gordon.
Mexico were awarded a penalty of their own soon after, Jimenez converting after Kane was penalised for a foul on Brian Gutierrez, and the hosts spent the closing stages camped in England’s half.
Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa and Nico O’Reilly absorbed the bulk of that pressure, with Declan Rice covering the gap left by Quansah’s departure. England held on through 11 minutes of stoppage time to close out the win, as ESPN’s report from Mexico City detailed.
Pickford was adamant after full-time that the win belonged to the group rather than any individual. “That’s probably one we’re still going to talk about for years. A lot of emotions, a lot of resilience,” he said.
“I’m the most experienced in the group — when called upon, you roll your sleeves up. I’ve always had a fight, a passion, a pride in the shirt. Big moments, big time — that’s the standard I set myself.”
“Heroic performance”
Thomas Tuchel echoed that sentiment when asked about his side’s mentality. “I am just proud of the mentality and attitude — round of 32, round of 16 is the moment in the tournament when you find a way to win,” the England manager said. “It felt in the buildup not like a round of 16, it feels almost like we have won a final or something.
“This last moment where the ref takes his whistle to his mouth and you know you overcame it, 40-50 minutes with 10 men in the altitude against the home country, against a strong, strong Mexican team, this is a moment of joy. It was a heroic performance and heroic result in the end.”
The result ends Mexico’s unbeaten, nmp=goals-against run through the group stage at their own stadium and sends England to Miami to face Erling Haaland’s Norway in Saturday’s quarter-final. It also draws a line under England’s last visit to the Azteca, the 1986 quarter-final remembered for Diego Maradona’s Hand of God.
