England overcame Mexico's home advantage, vociferous fans and the much-documented altitude to book their place in the World Cup quarter-finals with a 3-2 victory at the Azteca. Jude Bellingham scored twice and Harry Kane added a penalty, but the Three Lions played the final 36 minutes with 10 men after Jarell Quansah's 54th-minute red card. It is only the second time England have beaten a World Cup host, joining the 1954 victory over Switzerland.
Mexico had played 89 competitive games at the Azteca before this match and had lost only twice — to Costa Rica in 2001 and Honduras in 2013, both World Cup qualifiers. Since that last defeat, they had won 16 and drawn six of 22 matches at the legendary stadium. In this World Cup, they had won all four home games with four clean sheets. On top of all that, the team ranked 10th in the world were used to the altitude — the stadium is 7,220ft above sea level — which can make breathing tougher without enough time to adjust.
“England beat Mexico 3-2 at the Azteca with 10 men to reach World Cup quarter-finals.”
But England won in epic fashion, sparking debate about where this result ranks among their greatest away victories. The BBC Sport article invites readers to compare it with other famous wins, such as the 3-2 victory in Seville in the Nations League. Spain had not lost a home competitive game in 15 years before England went there and had never conceded three goals in a competitive game on home soil. Raheem Sterling scored a first-half double and Marcus Rashford added another to give England a 3-0 lead, before Spain scored twice through Paco Alcacer and Sergio Ramos.
Perhaps the most iconic away win is the 5-1 thrashing of Germany in Munich in 2001. Michael Owen scored a hat-trick as Sven-Goran Eriksson's side stunned the hosts in a World Cup qualifier, despite Carsten Jancker giving Germany an early lead.
So where does this Mexico triumph sit among them? England, despite being bookmakers' and statistical favourites, defied the conditions, a hostile crowd, and a red card to secure a result that will be remembered for generations.