'Defeating Hong Myung-bo's team → Second host nation eliminated': Mexico loses to England 3-2 in a narrow defeat... 'Bellingham's multi-goal performance + Kane's winning goal'

*This content was translated by AI.

It was a historic classic. After a fiercely contested battle, the home of football defeated the host nation in the World Cup.

On the morning of the 6th (Korean time), England defeated Mexico 3-2 in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup held at Mexico City Stadium.

Despite being reduced to ten men after Zarel Quanza (Bayer Leverkusen) was sent off in the 9th minute of the second half, England secured a narrow one-goal victory thanks to Jude Bellingham's (Real Madrid) multi-goal performance and Harry Kane's penalty kick winning goal.

Having advanced to the quarterfinals for the third consecutive World Cup, England will face Norway, led by Erling Haaland (Manchester City), who has scored seven goals in this tournament.

Mexico, which had won all matches without conceding a goal up to the Round of 32, including a 0-1 victory over South Korea's national team in the group stage, suffered their first defeat and elimination after facing England, a favorite for the title. This marks the second host nation eliminated from the North American World Cup following Canada.

The match began an hour later than scheduled due to severe weather conditions accompanied by lightning.

Mexico, leveraging their high-altitude advantage, dominated the early stages with intense pressure, but England scored first. In the 36th minute of the first half, Declan Rice advanced from the center and delivered a cross from the right flank to Bukayo Saka, who set up Bellingham for a diving header, giving Mexico their first goal conceded in the tournament.

With momentum on their side, England extended their lead in the 38th minute of the first half. In a counterattack, Jude Bellingham received a pass from Harry Kane and scored with a right-footed shot amidst chaos in front of the goal, increasing the gap to 2-0.

Mexico quickly responded. In the 42nd minute of the first half, Julian Quiñones finished off a loose ball from a free-kick situation with a powerful right-footed strike, reducing the deficit to one goal. During stoppage time in the first half, Raul Jimenez's decisive header and Cesar Montes' shot were saved by England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and blocked by Bellingham's physical defense, leaving England leading 2-1 at halftime.

England faced a setback early in the second half. In the 8th minute, Quanza committed a harsh tackle against Jesus Gallardo during defense and was shown a direct red card after video assistant referee (VAR) review. England immediately substituted Saka for John Stones to adjust their defensive numbers.

Despite being down to ten men, England scored another goal. In the 13th minute of the second half, Anthony Gordon penetrated behind the defense and drew a foul from goalkeeper Raul Langhel, earning a penalty kick. Kane, as the designated kicker, calmly converted it to make the score 3-1.

Mexico narrowed the gap in the 21st minute of the second half when Jimenez scored from a penalty kick awarded after a foul by Kane. Mexico utilized all their attacking cards until the final moments and launched relentless attacks, but they could not break through England's defensive wall, which increased its numbers and defended physically. Ultimately, the match ended with England winning 3-2.

Having defeated host nation Mexico and secured a spot in the quarterfinals, England will compete for a place in the semifinals against Norway, who advanced by defeating Brazil 2-1 earlier.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.