Breathlessness was promised after all.
The famed heights of the Azteca – the iconic stadium that immortalised itself as the custodian to two World Cup finals – delivered on what could possibly be its last ever World Cup game. That England, packing their suitcases with decades worth of held grievances earned on this very grass, were allowed to escape the 80,000 plus crowd with a laboured 3-2 victory, would have to be their version of the footballing gods balancing their weighing scales.
That Mexico would come out swinging, much like the sluggers thronging dilapidated gyms in the city, was a given. All the armchair experts on altitude proclaimed that the English needed to sit back and survive the first quarter. The Mexicans would be fierce at the start and the crowd knew that they had a part to play.
Jordan Pickford saw all of it unfolding before his eyes. The first real chance that Mexico had – a header from the country’s second-highest goalscorer. Raul Jimenez contorted himself in the air and struck a powerful attempt downwards from close range. The ball, travelling into the English bottom post, was met by the palm of Pickford – who has a penchant for casting a wide shadow, come a knockout game. The first quarter came and went and the English started to breathe a little bit more.
At its bones, this England squad has two totem poles in Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham. The responsibility of how far their tournament goes, often falls on Kane’s shoulders. But at a venue where Pele and Maradona have lifted World Cups, it was Jude Bellingham that embodied the spirit of what one must be, to earn the respect of the Azteca.
Bukayo Saka, getting a start under Thomas Tuchel, put in a looping cross from 6 yards with his right. Kane, always England’s target man, took two defenders with him and sold a dummy. And Bellingham just a little further down the line, was late yet clinical, as he dived in to score the opener with a header in the 36th minute.
He wasn’t done. Kane played a decoy for the first goal and then a minute later, turned provider. This time it was a drive through the Mexican backline that Bellingham latched onto. Big game Bellingham showed up and it seemed like England had found their bearings.
How wrong was that notion.
With just ten minutes left in the first half, Mexico raised hell. The Mexican waves on the stands were nothing compared to the ones on the pitch. One offensive move after another pummelling in, all looking for the goal that would bring them back into the match. Bellingham, who had scored twice and may have believed that this was done and dusted, had to pull out a last-gasp challenge to keep the scoreline 2-0. And then the Azteca threw its first hook at the English.
Julian Quinones has lit up the Saudi Pro League with his goal-a-game exploits. The left-sided attacker has been Mexico’s angled foil to Jimenez’s in-your-face directness. In the 42nd minute, he pounced on a loose ball in the box and pulled a goal back for the Mexicans as the score read 2-1.
There would be no end to the relentlessness as the second half began. Nine minutes into the half, and England were down to ten men. A pointless stud-up challenge from Jarell Quansah forced England to improvise after he was sent off with a red. Saka would have to be taken out and the experience of tall defender John Stones was what Tuchel felt the occasion needed.
Six minutes from that red card, Anthony Gordon was brought down by goalkeeper Raul Rangel after his sprint was hacked down. Kane stepped up to the spot and slammed a shot to his left and at 3-1, the odds were looking in England’s favour even though the numerical advantage was in Mexico’s hands.
But Mexico refused to bow down without a fight. And England’s string of poor decisions did not help. This time it was Kane, calm for the penalty but clearly unthinking in his high-footed attempt to hoof the ball out of his own box and instead finding a Mexican foot in his way.
Referee Alireza Faghani took a short jog to the television and was immediate in his judgement. Kane had erred.
Jimenez who was denied by Pickford in the first half, took a short strut, waited for the English keeper to make his mind, and then went the other way. In the powder keg of the Azteca, the striker in green and red stayed calm and brought his country back into it in the 69th minute.
The final minutes of the game were nine white shirts depositing themselves ahead of one yellow shirt with chance after chance coming their way. The English held on, weathered the rain and the proverbial storm and fell to their feet when the last of the corners was defended and there would be no more of the punishment left to take. The host nation went out the only way it could, fighting to the bitter end.
England could finally breathe.
Red card count: The Azteca – 5, The rest of the World Cup venues – 0. A World Cup classic that ended in red.
England’s escape from Azteca came with its wounds. Tuchel’s right-back position is a card of dominos that has fallen from Reece James to Djed Spence to Quansah – and all have combusted spectacularly one way or another before their epic incoming clash against Norway. But what England will desperately miss against the Vikings will be Jude Bellingham, who picked up a needless yellow card late in the game and will now miss the quarterfinals against Norway in Miami.
England beat Mexico to reach quarterfinal of World Cup 2026. (AP) 
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