As the sun rose over Mexico City this morning, England fans nursing hangovers and hoarse voices were still trying to process what they had witnessed the night before. The Three Lions, reduced to ten men under Thomas Tuchel, had produced what many described as one of the most magical performances in the country's football history, defeating Mexico in the World Cup round of 16 at the Azteca stadium.
Supporters poured into hotels and restaurants for breakfast, still buzzing from the drama. "It was a real privilege to be here," said superfan Gary Taylor, who attended the match with his girlfriend Jo Lewis. Taylor recalled a horrendous experience at the opening ceremony last month when they were caught in a crush, but added: "It was so much different this time. What a match — that ranks in my top three games of all-time. It doesn’t beat Germany away in 2001, and 2002 World Cup against Argentina, but it was just fantastic."
“England fans celebrate heroic ten-man win over Mexico in World Cup round of 16, now heading to Miami for quarter-final.”
Tony Incenzo, the country's most dedicated fan who has visited more than 2,500 non-league grounds, said: "I’ve been watching the World Cup since 1970 and that was one of the best matches I’ve ever seen."
But there was little time to dwell on the triumph. Some fans were already at the airport for the 6.50am AeroMexico direct flight to Miami, where England will face Norway in the quarter-finals on Saturday. Others were flying back to England for work but plan to return on Friday. The next challenge: Manchester City's Erling Haaland and the Norwegian fans' famous rowing routine that has wowed the world.
The scramble for tickets is already underway. On the official FIFA resale site, one ticket was available at £7,000. On Seatgeek, prices range from £2,200 to £3,000. One cheeky punter listed his ticket for £5.6m. Businessman Dan Fellows, 37, originally from Wolverhampton now living in Houston, has followed England all summer and already has tickets for the semi-final and final. With his flight and hotel booked for Miami, he said: "A World Cup quarter-final in Miami — it does…"