Harry Kane could barely speak. ‘My voice has gone,’ the England captain croaked after his second-half penalty sealed a 3-2 victory over Mexico in a World Cup thriller that left fans and players alike shell-shocked. ‘It was a crazy game, we had to fight. We had to find something.’
Kane had lost his voice singing Wonderwall in a post-match interview that went wrong — but he found his voice on the pitch, slotting home the decisive spot-kick after Jude Bellingham’s brace had put England ahead. The Three Lions played much of the game with 10 men, yet somehow squeezed past the co-hosts in the Azteca stadium as rain poured down.
“Harry Kane's penalty secures 3-2 win over Mexico as WAGs celebrate and London fans pull sickies.”
Among the first to congratulate the players were their wives and girlfriends. Kane embraced and kissed his wife Kate, who had donned a poncho earlier in the evening. Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, who made incredible saves, also got a smooch from his wife Megan. Declan Rice was seen posing for snaps with fans.
The celebrations stretched far beyond the stadium. Thousands of Londoners emerged from pubs at dawn after watching the victory, with many pulling sickies to recover. The knockout stages are now heating up, and England believe football might finally be coming home after 60 years of hurt — with Kane and Bellingham on fire. Even Donald Trump hailed Kane’s performance, calling the win ‘best since 1966’.
But the joy was tempered by an injury blow: midfielder Jordan Henderson was taken off on a stretcher after tripping over advertising hoardings during the celebrations. England face Norway in the quarter-finals next, with heavyweights Germany, Netherlands and Brazil already knocked out. France, Spain and Argentina remain serious contenders.
As Kane struggled to speak, he summed up the night: ‘Everything was against us, we found a way. I’m speechless, I can’t even talk.’