England just pulled off one of their grittiest knockout victories in recent history, surviving a hostile Estadio Azteca to edge co-hosts Mexico 3-2.
Under Thomas Tuchel, this team showed a resilient spine that historical England squads completely lacked.
Playing almost the entire second half short-handed, the Three Lions booked a date with Norway in the quarter-finals.
England Players rating vs Mexico
Jordan Pickford – 8/10:
An absolute titan. While he couldn’t do much about Julián Quiñones’ close-range blast or Raúl Jiménez’s clinical penalty, his two world-class saves late in the game preserved the win.
Jarell Quansah – 3/10:
Deservedly sent off in the 54th minute following a VAR review. His reckless challenge completely derailed what should have been a comfortable cruise.
Marc Guéhi – 6/10:
Shaky in the first half against cross-heavy pressure, but grew into a defensive warrior once England had their backs to the wall.
Ezri Konsa – 7/10:
Stepped up beautifully. When tactical adjustments forced him out to right-back following the red card, his 1v1 lockdown defending was flawless.
Nico O’Reilly – 6/10:
A true baptism of fire at left-back. The Manchester City youngster had his hands full early on but nearly scored an absolute beauty when he hit the post.
Declan Rice – 6/10:
Booked in the opening sixty seconds, which forced him to play on a tightrope. He lacked his usual bite but anchored the low block effectively late on.
Elliot Anderson – 6/10:
Kept the engine room ticking over under intense high-altitude exhaustion before being sacrificed for defensive reinforcements.
Jude Bellingham – 10/10:
A truly iconic performance. His quickfire double inside two minutes completely stunned the arena. He even made a miraculous goal-line clearance. Easily one of the best players at the World Cup.
Bukayo Saka – 7/10:
His brilliant dynamic run and perfectly weighted cross set up Bellingham’s opener. He was unfortunately subbed off early to accommodate structural repairs after the red card.
Anthony Gordon – 8/10:
Terrific pace and directness. His relentless driving runs consistently terrified Jorge Sánchez and crucially won the decisive second-half penalty.
Harry Kane – 7/10:
Held the ball up masterfully when England downsized to 10 men. He showed ice in his veins to hammer home his penalty, though he later conceded one at the other end.
England showed their defensive quality against Mexico
Historically, an England squad down to 10 men in a hostile Latin American stadium melts away.
Tuchel’s pragmatic tactical flexibility is exactly why the FA hired him.
As noted by The Guardian, England logged just 33.2% possession, their lowest since 1966, but their defensive structure was a masterclass in survival.
If they can clean up the disciplinary errors, this group has the steel to go all the way.
Man of the match: Jude Bellingham
‘It’s just not good enough’ – Tuchel fumes after England beat Mexico at the Azteca
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