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6 July 2026

England head coach Thomas Tuchel praised his side’s “pure mentality and heart” after they battled through an intense encounter at the Azteca Stadium, defeating Mexico 3-2 with 10 men to book a place in the World Cup quarter-finals on Sunday.

England looked in full control after Jude Bellingham struck twice in quick succession to give them a 2-0 lead, but they were forced into a desperate rearguard action when Jarell Quansah was sent off, allowing Mexico to mount a spirited comeback amid the thin air of Mexico City.

“I’m just proud of the mentality and attitude – the round of 32, the round of 16, these are the moments in the tournament where you have to find a way to win. We did it through pure mentality and heart,” Tuchel told reporters.

“We overcame every obstacle that came our way. I’m so proud of the mentality and determination this team showed.”

Inside a feverish Azteca atmosphere, England delivered their most complete display of the competition so far, both defensively and offensively.

After withstanding a fiercely hostile start, England took control as Bellingham demonstrated a striker’s instinct, scoring twice from close range within two minutes to silence the home crowd.

However, the tension was far from over as Mexico hit back through their top scorer Julian Quinones, sending the already electric crowd into a frenzy.

When Quansah was shown a red card for a reckless tackle just nine minutes into the second half, the noise inside the stadium reached deafening levels. Harry Kane’s penalty briefly calmed the nerves, restoring England’s two-goal cushion.

But Mexico soon responded with a penalty of their own, converted by Raul Jimenez, setting up a frantic finale as England clung on for victory.

Tuchel’s side held firm with impressive composure, limiting Mexico to half-chances despite being reduced to 10 men. England’s defence made several desperate clearances and survived 12 minutes of added time to secure the win.

The contest had been billed as England’s sternest challenge of the tournament — facing the co-hosts, at altitude, and in front of a passionate home crowd.

Tuchel acknowledged the magnitude of the occasion, suggesting it felt like a far later stage in the competition.

“In the buildup, it didn’t feel like a round of 16 match — it almost feels like we’ve won a final,” Tuchel admitted.

“That final moment when the referee brings the whistle to his mouth and you realise you’ve made it — 40 to 50 minutes with 10 men, at altitude, against the home nation, against a very strong Mexican team — that’s a moment of pure joy. It was a heroic performance and a heroic result in the end.”

There was, however, one unfortunate incident on an otherwise triumphant night. Midfielder Jordan Henderson suffered an injury while celebrating, attempting to leap over an advertising board after greeting England’s supporters. He is currently in hospital.

“I have mixed emotions because I’m exhausted, emotional, and also sad since Jordan got injured and hurt his wrist,” Tuchel said. “He’s in hospital right now. It’s quite a serious injury, and it just doesn’t fit the evening that Jordan isn’t with us.”