England Beat Mexico 3-2 at the Azteca, Advance to World Cup Quarterfinals Against Norway

England are through to the World Cup quarterfinals after a 3-2 victory over Mexico at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on Sunday.

How it happened

The stadium held 80,824 announced attendance per the Associated Press, with Fox News reporting a capacity of 87,500. It was already one of the loudest venues in World Cup history before a ball was kicked. Mexico had not conceded a single goal across its first four matches, according to the AP. That record lasted about 20 minutes.

Jude Bellingham scored twice in a 98-second span in the first half, leaving Mexico's defense without an answer.

Mexico pulled one back before halftime. Julian Quinones converted to make it 2-1, giving El Tri a lifeline heading into the break, according to Fox News.

The second half

England's task got considerably harder in the 53rd minute when Jarell Quansah received a straight red card, according to Fox News, dropping England to ten men for the remainder of the match. The momentum visibly shifted.

Then Mexico's goalkeeper Raul Rangel handed it back. Rangel brought down Anthony Gordon inside the penalty area, conceding a spot kick. Captain Harry Kane stepped up and buried it: 3-1.

Mexico wouldn't quit. In the 69th minute, the referee awarded Mexico a second penalty after a scramble in England's box. Raul Jimenez converted to make it 3-2, and the final stretch saw England absorb wave after wave of Mexican pressure before the final whistle.

What it means for Mexico

For Mexico fans, the defeat stings. The country had been riding a wave of collective optimism. NPR reported on the national mantra "Y si sí" (roughly, "what if yes?") that had swept Mexico City through the tournament, with millions gathering at the Angel of Independence after each victory.

The loss is Mexico's eighth round-of-16 elimination since 1986, the last time Mexico reached a quarterfinal. It was also Mexico's third competitive loss at Estadio Azteca, which opened in 1966, after a pair of 2-1 defeats in World Cup qualifiers — to Costa Rica in 2001 and to Honduras in 2013, per the AP. This was the first such loss in a World Cup match.

Coach Javier Aguirre, who is stepping down after his third stint in charge, said after the match: "To dream and then fall like this hurts deeply, but the players should leave with their heads held high."

Rafael Marquez, the former Barcelona defender who served as Aguirre's assistant at this tournament, will replace him as Mexico's head coach, according to the AP.

The statistical perspective

Mexico fan Ramiro Caballero, a 44-year-old businessman quoted by the AP, put it plainly: "I am sad, we had everything to win the match. England did not play well, they had five shots on goal and scored three." England were ruthlessly clinical against a team that had been the better side for long stretches of the second half and held a numerical advantage for most of it. The result was real, though the performance gap between the teams was narrower than the scoreline suggests.

Aguirre acknowledged the squad's effort while absorbing the loss: "These five matches are unforgettable. I am saying goodbye to the Estadio Azteca and leaving with great pride after so many years."

What's next

England now face Norway in the quarterfinals. The date has not been confirmed in available sources. Key questions heading into that match center on whether Bellingham can replicate his two-goal performance against a Norwegian side that will have studied how England's defense looked with ten men, and whether the Quansah red card triggers a suspension that further depletes England's defensive options.