Mexico had played 89 competitive games at the Azteca before Sunday night and lost only twice. They had won 16 and drawn six of their 22 matches since that last defeat. Their four World Cup home games this tournament had yielded four wins and four clean sheets. Then England arrived.
Jude Bellingham scored twice, Harry Kane converted a penalty and the Three Lions won 3-2 despite playing the final 36 minutes with 10 men after Jarell Quansah’s 54th-minute red card. The result is only the second time England have beaten a World Cup host, matching the 1954 victory over Switzerland, and it ended Mexico’s run of invincibility at altitude – the stadium is 7,220ft above sea level.
“England beat Mexico 3-2 at the Azteca with 10 men, only their second win over a World Cup host.”
The victory immediately invites comparison with other famous away wins. In 2018, England stunned Spain 3-2 in Seville in the Nations League, leading 3-0 at half-time through Raheem Sterling’s double and a Marcus Rashford goal before Spain fought back. That ended Spain’s 15-year unbeaten run in competitive home games. Then there is the iconic 5-1 thrashing of Germany in Munich in 2001, when Michael Owen scored a hat-trick after Carsten Jancker had given the hosts the lead in a World Cup qualifier.
Where does the Mexico win rank among them? England defied the altitude, a hostile crowd and a red card to beat the world’s 10th-ranked team in their own fortress. The BBC Sport article lists these triumphs and invites readers to have their say. Whatever the verdict, Sunday night at the Azteca will be remembered as the night England made heroes and shattered a legend.