Sleep schedules went out the window as England fans pulled an all-nighter to see Thomas Tuchel’s team beat Mexico 3-2 in a match that proved worth every minute of lost sleep. The game, delayed by an hour due to storms in Mexico City, kicked off at 2am UK time at the iconic Azteca stadium. Fans inside the Clapham Grand in south London were unfazed. “It’s going to mess up work tomorrow, but overall it’s not too bad,” said 26-year-old Aaron Andrews before kick-off. “We’re all drunk anyway. As long as the boys bring it home it’s fine.”
Just past the half-hour mark, Jude Bellingham scored a stunning brace within 90 seconds, putting England in an enviable position. But by half-time, Mexico had pulled one back. The turning point came at 53 minutes when Jarell Quansah was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Jesus Gallardo. However, a spurt of brilliance from Anthony Gordon earned a penalty, which Harry Kane converted to restore a two-goal lead. Raul Jimenez’s penalty later closed the gap again, but with ten men and under relentless attack, England held on through more than 11 torturous minutes of injury time.
“England fans stayed up until dawn as Jude Bellingham's brace and Harry Kane's penalty sealed a 3-2 win over Mexico.”
When the whistle blew, pubs erupted into ‘Sweet Caroline’. Spilling out onto the streets at 4am, Imogen Meade, 19, and Sophia Williams, 18, said staying up was “100 per cent worth it”. “It was brilliant,” Ms Meade said. “I thought we were going to lose but I'm so glad the altitude didn't affect us.” Jude Bellingham, after the match, urged fans: “Kids stay off school, parents don’t go to work, enjoy your day, have the day off if you can, these nights don’t come often.” Employers are now bracing for a ‘mass sickie’ as thousands of Londoners emerge from bars at dawn, while England set up a quarter-final showdown with Norway.