​England through to the quarter-finals after a remarkable knockout display at the Azteca, as Three Lions delivered one of their best runs in years. Thomas Tuchel’s side edged co-hosts Mexico 3-2 in a pulsating clash that saw a hostile home crowd silenced. Jude Bellingham was unplayable in a sensational opening spell, scoring twice within two minutes for Real Madrid. After Jarell Quansah saw red, England held their nerve with ten men, and Harry Kane tucked away a vital penalty to seal the victory. Yet the hosts kept pressing, and England’s occasionally frail defending kept the door ajar until the final whistle. Here are the England player ratings from Mexico City.
Goalkeeper and defence
Jordan Pickford — 7: Made a sharp low save to deny Jiménez’s diving header in the 15th minute and later tipped another effort over the bar on the cusp of half-time as Mexico sought an equaliser. Solid throughout a frantic second half.
Jarell Quansah — 5: Had looked composed before his night ended in the 54th minute. A sliding challenge on Gallardo was upgraded by VAR to a straight red, an unfortunate end to a promising display.
Ezri Konsa — 7: His clearance attempt from the 43rd-minute free-kick fell to Quiñones for a Mexico reply, but he recovered well and produced crucial clearances as England battled on with ten men.
Marc Guehi — 7: Won duels in tight spaces and under pressure as England steadied the ship. Stood firm as Mexico surged late on.
Nico O’Reilly — 7: Delivered his best performance of the tournament with a dangerous cross and a low volley that struck the post in the second half. Substituted as England switched to a back five after the red card.
Midfield and attack
Declan Rice — 7: Booked early and then anchored the midfield for the full 90 minutes in a game that threatened to boil over. A lung-busting run from his own half to the edge of the box sparked England’s opener, and his defensive presence was commanding throughout.
Elliot Anderson — 6: A quieter night by his standards but efficient in his duties, winning the ball to fuel Bellingham’s second goal. Replaced as Tuchel reshaped the defense.
Jude Bellingham — 9 (Player of the Match): Two goals in 98 seconds put England in control before Mexico settled. The first was a diving header from Saka’s cross; the second a composed finish after beating Montes to Kane’s cutback. He also produced a crucial late clearance to deny Montes after Pickford’s save.
Note: The rest of the squad and re-ratings would require the complete list of players who featured to be fully accurate.