England secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over co-hosts Mexico in a challenging World Cup encounter at the Azteca Stadium, a performance manager Thomas Tuchel described as "heroic."
The match, played at high altitude and delayed by an hour, saw England overcome significant adversity, including playing with 10 men for nearly 50 minutes after Jarell Quansah received a second-half red card.
"It feels almost like we won a final," Tuchel stated after the match. "This last moment where the referee takes the whistle to his mouth – when you know that you overcame 50 minutes with 10 men in the altitude against the home country, against a strong, strong Mexican team – this is a moment of joy. It's a heroic performance and a heroic result. I'm so happy for the players. We found a way to win and we did it with pure mentality and heart, overcoming every obstacle thrown at us."
Jude Bellingham scored twice, and Harry Kane converted a penalty to give England a lead. Mexico fought back with goals from Julian Quinones before halftime and Raul Jimenez from the penalty spot in the second half. Despite Quansah's dismissal on 54 minutes, England managed to hold on through 11 minutes of second-half injury time.
Tuchel also expressed frustration with the officiating, particularly after VAR reviews led to decisions against England. "Not good enough," he told the BBC regarding the referees and fourth officials. "Referees are just not good enough. Fourth officials are just not good enough. That is the bottom line. VAR today, I think I saw three people from South America are on there. Is it a clear and obvious error for the mistake for the penalty? For sure not."
Captain Harry Kane, who was substituted in the 90th minute, described the game as "crazy" and highlighted the team's resilience. "It was a crazy game," Kane said. "We had to fight and we had to find something. I've just been singing, I can't really talk. The occasion, the team, everything against us, we found a way."
There was an injury concern for Jordan Henderson, who was carried off on a stretcher after an incident involving an advertising board. Tuchel indicated the injury was serious, with Henderson being taken to the hospital.
Looking ahead, Tuchel remained focused on the immediate task, deferring questions about a potential semi-final against Argentina. "I will not talk about the semi-final, my friend," he said. "Now, we have the chance for some days off and I tell you something: I will not re-watch our match, and I will not watch anything about Norway in the next 24 hours. I will do one full day without football. And then we will think about Norway. We'll take it step-by-step."
Tuchel also offered his sympathies to the defeated Mexican team, acknowledging their passion and the emotion of their supporters. "I almost should say sorry that you're out, because I saw the passion and emotion of all the people on the side of the streets today and yesterday, and from the bus. But I'm incredibly proud of my team and our achievements."