England's Dramatic World Cup Victory Over Mexico at the Azteca

England's players, arm-in-arm, singing Wonderwall at the Azteca.

The 3-2 victory over co-host Mexico may well go down as one of the most dramatic and nervy matches at any World Cup in history.

It had everything.

A blistering two-goal surge from a player who has every attribute to become one of the best of his generation.

A thrilling fightback from the hosts, roared on by a rabid crowd of over 80,000, half stymied by a last-ditch tackle by that same player who put England ahead in the first place.

Jude Bellingham needs a special mention.

The Real Madrid striker has been subject to some criticism in the past couple of years.

He was even left out of a squad by Thomas Tuchel in the lead up to the tournament, perhaps through injury, perhaps as a result of an attitude that was starting to become worrisome.

We needn't have worried.

Bellingham was everywhere, and has been everywhere for England at this World Cup.

The 23-year-old is a master, tracking forward and scoring those two sensational goals, and tracking back to deny a near certain one at the other end.

"It could have been [more important than the goal]," Bellingham said of his block.

"It felt like the stadium almost collapsed, so it was probably an important clearance."

Important for stopping the goal but important as it laid down the marker for what England should expect from its players in such a hostile atmosphere.

And, by and large, it's what they got too.

All apart from the hideous lunge by Jarell Quansah that led to a red card, a horror tackle that seemed to flip the script England had hoped to write from one of dogged perseverance back to the so-called golden generation of the late 90's and early 2000's who broke English hearts so many times in so many, pitifully similar ways.

Quansah became the fourth England player to be sent off at a World Cup and seemed destined to be added to the same villains gallery that David Beckham (vs Argentina in 1998) and Wayne Rooney (vs Portugal in 2006) were cloistered.

This is the moment that so many England teams of the past would have crumpled.

So many of those who have been on the verge of suffocation by the weight of the shirt and the pressure that comes with it have wilted under the pressure, given an easy out and a figure to blame when it all inevitably crashed down around them.

But this England team is not built like the house of cards of previous years.

Building upon the foundations laid by Gareth Southgate, this England team not only rebounded, but powered ahead.

"Big pressure moments, in years gone by watching as a fan, as a kid, England probably would have crumbled," Bellingham said.

"But we stuck together until the last second.

"The players who came on, the players that started, running themselves into the ground and giving everything.

"That is what what this team is about."

England's third epitomised that fight, Anthony Gordon tearing into the penalty area to latch onto Harry Kane's flick on, beating 'keeper Raúl Rangel to the ball and being taken down.

There is nobody better in world football right now than Kane, a man whose 2025/26 season has been one of the all-time great goalscoring campaigns in history, at slotting home as nervelessly as he did, a pristine penalty to restore England's two-goal lead.

But then he gave one away up the other end. Hero to zero. We've read that story before too. Too many times.

But again England didn't buckle.

Cue a furious, frantic, chaotic and brilliantly brave rearguard action for over half an hour as Mexico launched wave upon wave of attacks that bent and stretched and battered a makeshift England defence.

It held firm.

Pandemonium as Australian referee Alireza Faghani blew his whistle and pointed England towards its nirvana, the thousands of outnumbered fans in the Azteca's hallowed halls roaring in delight.

This is what dreams are made of for Three Lions supporters, at a footballing theatre that has haunted the nightmares of England fans for 40 years.

Nobody in England has ever been able to think of the Azteca without one haunting image slamming into their minds at the blink of an eye.

Diego Maradona leaping, Peter Shilton reaching, the hand of God poking at the ball and it bouncing into the back of the net.

Never have England been able to banish that thought, that moment, from their minds, the replaying of it so deeply etched into the collective consciousness of the country that it has been ingrained into the nation's sporting psyche.

Not until now.

England's stunning display was a victory against the odds.

Mexico's record at the Azteca was and remains legend, 70 wins from, until today, 89 competitive fixtures and just two defeats.

The first time El Tri lost at the Azteca in a competitive match, a 2-1 World Cup qualification defeat against Costa Rica, the shock was so great it was christened with a nickname, El Aztecazo.

Mexico had never lost in the 10 World Cup matches they had played at the Azteca and had won the last six in a row.

At this tournament, they were yet to concede a goal.

England put three past them, the first time that had happened at the Azteca since Mexico managed a 4-3 win against Brazil in 1999.

Those three goals were more then El Tri had conceded in all their previous 10 World Cup matches at the stadium combined.

The pandemonium is warranted.

The joy of England fans staying up until 5:00am to witness one of the best results in the nation's extensive footballing history.

"That is is the thing I dream of, being a part of this England squad," Bellingham said.

"Bringing my country together, giving them nights like this that they will enjoy for many years to come.

"I am so proud of this team. What we have done tonight is spectacular.

"Have another shot and text your bosses to say you're not coming in tomorrow."

This England has another shot thanks to this stunning result.

Another shot at completing something just as heroic against a Norway team on the run of their lives, backed by a Norse god in Erling Haaland.

Stopping him with a defence held together by hope and sticky tape may be a task too far.

But then again, maybe it won't be.