England vs Mexico live: score, commentary, analysis from Fifa World Cup 2026

Managerial masterclass from Tuchel

Times football columnist Phil Neville says: Credit to the players for the quality and resilience in the face of so much pressure from Mexico. But that was also a managerial masterclass from Thomas Tuchel. The astute changes he made from the bench, the switch to a back five; the way he simply responded to the loss of Jarell Quansah. England really do have a very impressive head coach.

Wonderwall time

Kane and Bellingham lead the charge towards the England fans at teh end of the game — Kane has leaped over the hoardings and has been joined by his team-mates, who are now singing Wonderwall to the fans, and the fans back to them.

Full time: Mexico 2 England 3

England have survived the ultimate onslaught. They are through to the quarter-finals of the World Cup after one of the most extraordinary games of football you’re ever likely to see.

Credit to both sides.

Three Lions echoes round the Azteca.

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90+11 min | Mexico corner

Stones bundles the ball behind under pressure. Rangel is up.

90+7 min | Bellingham goes for the corner

Bellingham heads to the corner. England are three minutes away.

90+5 min | Burn blocks Jiménez effort

Jiménez goes for an audacious bicycle kick on the edge of the box, but big Dan Burn smothers it and Mexico must try again. Álvarez winds one up from range, but Rice is in the way.

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90+3 min | Jude Bellingham goes for the spectacular

Having picked the ball up in midfield, Bellingham spots Rangel off his line and goes to lob him from miles out, but Rangel backtracks and collects. Bellingham looks absolutely exhausted.

Eleven minutes added on

England must last 11 more minutes. Mexico just keep coming. Their resilience and energy is superhuman. Morgan Rogers is set to come on for Harry Kane. Tuchel has no intention of this game going to penalties.

87 min | England look all out of gas

England are out of energy. Bellingham and Guéhi are bending over, holding their knees and catching their breath. England just want the ball as far away from their goal as possible. They don’t seem to have the energy to even keep the ball anymore.

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85 min | Spence makes heroic tackle

Spence has just made one of the tackles of the tournament, to deny Mexico breaking into the box and having a one-on-one with Pickford. It’s a stunning reflexive tackle to stop Santiago Giménez, after Burn missed his clearance.

Spence has had a difficult tournament, being asked to perform an attacking role that he isn’t used to, and being thrust into playing much more than he would have expected, too. But that tackle has more than paid for any of his shortcomings.

82 min | Mexico need to keep ball moving

This has been a thrilling match, but the ball hasn’t really been in play that much.

According to Opta as of 84:22, the ball was in play for just 39:43. Some more time management by England would go a long way, here. Mexico, however, are desperate to get the ball rolling as quickly as possible.

Nearly 52 per cent of the action has been in the England defensive third over the last 15 minutes and I think that number is only going to rise.

80 min | England sit deep

England have settled into a low block. Mexico are continuing to use the wings to attack, and as England are prioritising covering the centre, when Mexico’s wingers or full backs receive the ball they are in space, as the England wing backs need to jump out of their shape to engage them. Tuchel is hoping that Burn will be able to deal with the crosses Mexico put in, but because those wide players are not being engaged early, they’re able to dribble close to the box, and get into very dangerous positions.

Konsa appears to be struggling. Rice has signalled to the bench that the Villa defender may need to come off.

Julián Quiñones is replaced by Guillermo Martínez.

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78 min | Change for Mexico

Álvaro Fidalgo replaces Jorge Sánchez. England see off more aerial bombardment from Mexico. An absolutely enormous ten minutes or so is in the offing here.

76 min | England move to five at the back

Spence is moving to left back in place of O’Reilly while Burn is replacing Anderson.

England are changing to a 5-3-1 formation. Burn is playing on the left of a back three, with Guéhi in the middle. Bellingham, Rice and Gordon are England’s midfield three.

Keeping Gordon on is important as England need an outlet and someone who can press, but given the amount of running he has done already you would be worried for how long he can keep this up for.

74 min | Changes for England

Elliot Anderson and Nico O’Reilly are replaced by Dan Burn and Djed Spence.

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England right up against it now

This third quarter has — somehow — surpassed the second. In my view, this has not been a great team performance by England. However, England’s performance has included extraordinary moments from some of their players, chiefly Bellingham, but also Gordon. The Barcelona winger has been running hard all match long, trying to attack the space left in behind the Mexico right back. It was his decision to game, despite being a player down, and run from behind Kane to challenge for the ball and beat Rangel to it that may have just swung the game decisively in England’s favour. His determination and drive is so impressive, but it takes bravery to run forward and take that risk, knowing that the team is a man down, and if the ball is collected by the goalkeeper it could lead to a counter-attack and goal (as England showed with their opener).

The penalty has broken this game open again, and Mexico, in this final quarter will really fancy themselves just to get one goal, and take this to extra-time, where England will flag with just ten men and the altitude.

70 min | Hydration break

The players head off for drinks and we all have the chance to catch our breath, though that may be hard at altitude.

England just need to keep the ball and work Mexico as they did for that brief period earlier in the half. They need to be judicious with when and where they risk the ball.

69 min | No time to rest

It’s impossible to keep up with this match. Just as you think a team is settling into their rhythm something extraordinary happens. This time it’s a penalty for Mexico, which Jiménez converts. The Azteca is, somehow, even louder now than after their first goal.

Whatever next?

68 min | Goal! Mexico 2 England 3 (Jiménez)

Jiménez, like Kane, goes low and left and beats Pickford. What a game of football this is.

67 min | Mexico penalty

The penalty is given, and Jiménez has the ball in hand. A huge moment in this game.

66 min | VAR check for Mexico penalty

My word. The referee is at the monitor checking for a Mexico penalty for a challenge by Harry Kane in the box. He was trying to clear the ball and took the leg of Gutiérrez, who has just come on. Kane is booked.

A perfect penalty

It’s a perfect penalty, struck into the side netting. Unlike his previous five penalties for England, it was tucked away to the keeper’s right. There was no stutter this time, either. Kane picked his side early and committed to it.

59 min | Goal! Mexico 1 England 3

Harry Kane scores! He goes to the keeper’s left, and sends it perfectly in to the side netting.

57 min | Penalty to England!

Anthony Gordon is caught by Rangel in the box and the referee points to the spot. Good heavens.

56 min | Saka makes way

Bukayo Saka is the man to make way for John Stones.

56 min | England plan a change

John Stones is going to come on for England to shore them up defensively after that red card for Quansah. Tuchel may consider changing to a back five, perhaps bringing on Spence, too.

54 min | England must be patient

England have a spell of possession in the opposition half — it’s the first time we can say that in quite a while. They just need to be patient here and work the ball — keep Mexico moving by circulating the ball and keep the pressure on them. By playing high upfield they also reduce the spaces between each other. That means the team has better structure, and they’re better prepared if they lose the ball so they can counterpress.

It’s a similar story to the Panama and DR Congo matches. A bit of coolness will go a long way in taking some of the edge out of Mexico now that their tails are up and the crowd is excited again, particularly now Quansah has been sent off.

53 min | Red card: Jarell Quansah

The referee is sent to the monitor and the Bayer Leverkusen man has to go. No complaints, really.

52 min | VAR check

Jarell Quansah is in real trouble here. He’s gone high and over the top of the ball on Gallardo.

Big-game players

Per Opta, each of the last ten World Cup goals scored by England starters have been by either Harry Kane (six) or Jude Bellingham (four).

51 min | Mexico pressing high

Barry, in his half-time interview, has said that “Every minute feels like the 90th minute,” and the intensity this match has been played at speaks to that. England would have hoped to use their time on the ball to rest and recuperate, but they just haven’t had the opportunity to do so. Mexico are pressing hard immediately after the break.

48 min | O’Reilly hits the post

The ball falls kindly to O’Reilly at the edge of the box, and his shot on the volley beats Rangel but clips the foot of the right-hand post. England so close to regaining their two-goal cushion early in the second half.

46 min | Second half begins

We are back under way at the Azteca.

Jude Bellingham in fine company

Bellingham has become the first player to score twice in a World Cup game at the Azteca since Diego Maradona scored two in Argentina’s semi-final against Belgium back in 1986.

We don’t need to remind you about his performance in the quarter-final of that tournament…

Change for Mexico

Edson Álvarez comes on for César Montes. No changes for England.

Agree to disagree

Usually, Jonathan Northcroft and I have fairly similar readings of the game. Today is a bit different. He reckons that England were playing the game they wanted to — sitting deep, being guarded and waiting for their chance on the break, which they got. The chaos at the end of the half was just the result of an error by Konsa.

I have a slightly different reading; I think Mexico have forced England into these deep positions and stressed them more than they would have liked, even withstanding a more conservative than usual gameplan.

England on top in the stats

In one of the most intense England games in recent memory, Thomas Tuchel’s side have edged it against the Mexicans.

Jude Bellingham has been the standout performer. The 23-year-old has been everywhere on the pitch and was clinical with his opportunities, scoring twice in 98 seconds.

His first-half stats read: 23 touches, five duels won, two fouls won, two tackles, two shots, two goals, one last-man tackle. Talk about leading from the front.

Every minute feels like the 90th minute, says Tuchel’s assistant coach Anthony Barry at half-time.

Mesmerising, but England may need to score again

Times football columnist Phil Neville says: Wow. That’s the best half of football I’ve seen at this World Cup. Absolutely mesmerising. Tuchel clearly set them up to hit Mexico on the counterattack and they did that brilliantly with those two goals. But Mexico are looking dangerous and I suspect England will need to score again, while Jordan Pickford is going to need to have the game of his life (he’s already been superb).

England did really well to begin with, in terms of keeping possession. They need to regain control after a difficult last ten minutes or so of that half.

England’s counterpress not working

According to Fifa, Mexico are recovering the ball within an average of 18 seconds. England are averaging 37. The counterpress, mentioned earlier, is not working as it should.

England’s players have run more on average (5.4km) compared to Mexico (4.6km) but that is a result of Mexico forcing England to run around. Mexico are working England hard.

England, on the other hand…

This is England’s. And this is, frankly, horrendous. All but Gordon have an average position inside their own half, Bellingham has barely received any passes from his team-mates (despite getting the two goals), and this lack of linkup in midfield means England have little control. They are kicking long too often.

Mexico pushing high

This graphic shows Mexico’s average positions and a passing network. The thickness of the lines corresponds to the volume of passes between players. Look at how high Mexico’s full backs are — they are effectively playing with a front five.

Half-time: Mexico 1 England 2

Where to begin? A relatively guarded first quarter has descended into mania at the Azteca. England were struggling to control possession for the majority of the first half yet found themselves two goals ahead within 98 seconds when Pickford’s quick thinking set Rice off on a break upfield, which ended with Bellingham scoring from close range.

Mexico’s full backs are taking risks by playing high upfield, and there’s space for England to attack there as they did for both goals. But this risk is proving worthwhile — they have had more shots, more possession and have England under pressure. The end of the first half was incredible — Mexico could have scored two more. Only Pickford and Bellingham’s reflexes saved England.

Mexico have had 61.1 per cent possession to England’s 38.9 per cent. And again, they have taken much better care of the ball, too, with a 91.9 per cent passing accuracy compared with England’s 85.1 per cent. They have more than triple the amount of passes in the opposition half to England.

“It’s like they’ve woken a monster,” Matt Lawton tells me. This has been a brilliant first half of football, which England may count themselves lucky to be ahead in.

45+2 min | Pickford makes another huge save

Jiménez gets on the end of a cross and gets a header to fly towards the top corner, but Pickford is equal to it and produces a massive save with his top hand.

From the resulting corner, Jude Bellingham has just saved a certain goal by getting his foot across César Montes before the centre back could finish from no more than three yards out. Astonishing stuff.

Five minutes added on

We’re in to added time at the end of a first half that has exploded in to life. Jiménez flashes a shot past Pickford’s post.

Goal! Mexico 1 England 2 (Quiñones)

The Azteca has exploded, as Mexico have pulled a goal back. Konsa has made a mess of a clearance from a free kick, carelessly kicking it into the centre of the box, where Quiñones blasts home ferociously. The Azteca has exploded into life. Popcorn, beer and all sorts are flying everywhere, the noise is utterly deafening.

Like Mexico City buses

There were just 98 seconds between Jude Bellingham’s first and second goals for England.

41 min | England now in complete control

England, until this point have looked second best, but they have a foot in the World Cup quarter finals. They can now dictate the flow and tempo of this match. All the pressure is on Mexico, who need to chase the game and take risks. England can run down the clock, play safe on the ball and look for another break.

37 min | Goal! Mexico 0 England 2

He’s done it again!!! Jude Bellingham has scored twice in two minutes to put England in complete control. He taps in from close range after a sumptuous ball across from Harry Kane.

Anderson presses, wins the ball, and Gordon picks up the seconds. He passes to Kane, and the ball is sent in for Bellingham to crash into the goal.

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