England beat Mexico to advance to the quarterfinals, and The Athletic pointed out that many Three Lions fans believe it was the most important England match they had ever seen, and arguably the best away performance by an England team at a FIFA World Cup. The team, playing with ten men, faced a desperate situation, but relied on unity, fighting spirit, and composure under pressure to win the match. This has always been Tuchel's goal, and only after this match did people begin to believe in him. Now, the England team under him truly has "brotherhood," and it is really working.
Original text from The Athletic
You could watch England play for a lifetime and never see a scene like this.
No match has ever felt so significant, so exhausting, so thrilling, or so profoundly unforgettable.
England advanced to the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 3-2 victory over Mexico at the Aztec Stadium in Mexico on Sunday, but this was far from a routine result. By the end of the match, many considered it the most important England game they had ever seen, and arguably the best away performance by any England men's or women's team.
The way the players celebrated at the final whistle said it all after 101 minutes of play. Half the players collapsed straight to the ground. All the substitutes rushed onto the field, and Rieß-James joyfully pulled an exhausted Konsa up from the ground.
Burn, who everyone initially thought had been selected only for his likable personality, didn't even know where to run after delivering one of the best substitute performances in England's history.
The players celebrated as if they had already won the FIFA World Cup. Even if they really had won the FIFA World Cup, how much different would the scene have been?
After the match, the entire team held hands, facing five thousand England fans. They didn't just stand awkwardly, quietly listening to the fans' increasingly passionate rendition of "Wonderwall." They ran over, exhausted but full of pride, climbing over the advertising boards to get closer to the stands. Jordan Henderson slipped while climbing, hitting his wrist hard on the ground, and ultimately had to be carried off on a stretcher.
Captain Harry Kane was almost speechless during his post-match interview, his voice sounding like that of a teenager who had lost his voice screaming at his first music festival.
Why was this game particularly special? Especially since, on paper, the opponent was weaker than England. What made it truly rare was that it was a victory for the underdog. In the second half, Quansah was sent off early, leaving the team, down to ten men, in a desperate situation. The entire team relied on unity, fighting spirit, and composure under pressure to win the match.
No England team has ever played under so many disadvantages. The entire atmosphere in the stadium seemed to be against them. The weight of history, the shadow of Maradona's "Hand of God" in 1986 at this stadium, and the unique, deafening atmosphere—louder than anything you have ever heard and constantly building—were all against them. Only the FIFA World Cup can generate such power, with a city of twenty million people placing all their expectations on one team.
Many England players have already won championships at various European clubs and played in two FIFA World Cups, in Russia and Qatar. But this noisy, sweltering Aztec Stadium was a challenge they had never faced before.
In addition, the thin air here, which makes breathing difficult, naturally favored Mexico.
England only arrived on Friday night, leaving them without enough time to adapt. But the players continued to dig deep into their physical reserves, keeping their minds and bodies functioning through two hours of ups and downs.
To make matters worse, a torrential downpour and lightning delayed kick-off by an hour, further adding to the historical weight of the match. One couldn't help but wonder whether Tlaloc, the Aztec rain god, with his eyes like brass bells, jaguar fangs, and feathered crown, had intentionally gathered mountain air currents to unleash heavy rain and create obstacles.
Tuchel had planned for a solid, well-organized game to suppress the home crowd, adapt to the altitude, and use tactics to counter the psychological pressure of the stadium. England executed the plan well at the start, shrinking their formation and patiently controlling the ball.
The team withstood Mexico's attacks, then delivered two impactful, successive counter-attacks. Both incisive attacks were as fast as Tlaloc's lightning, and both were ultimately tapped into an open goal by Jude Bellingham.
At that moment, England's precise tactics delivered a complete victory. When a team can control the space and tempo of a match to such an extent, what are chaos, noise, and the shadows of history? With Bellingham and Kane on the field and playing brilliantly, why should England fear any opponent?
But England gave Mexico a chance to fight back. After taking a two-goal lead, the entire team’s concentration slackened, and their opponents pulled one back, making the stadium noise suddenly louder than at any other point in the match. It was Pickford again, once more at the heart of a classic England battle, holding on for a draw.
Once the situation spiralled out of control, the chaos became unstoppable. After Quansah's fierce tackle, a heated argument erupted between the two coaching benches, and following a VAR review, the referee belatedly showed a red card. England found themselves on the back foot; even after Kane scored a penalty to restore the lead, the remaining time saw ten exhausted players forced to defend. In the final stages, Kane conceded a penalty in his own half, and Raúl Jiménez changed the score to 3-2.
Stones was already on the field, then Spence and Burn came on as the team switched to a five-man defense, with Konsa moving to right-back. The defense offered a simple response: try to break through us if you can.
The ensuing defensive display was one of the most shocking moments in England's FIFA World Cup history. Mexico continuously sent crosses into the box, a spell that left all England fans exhausted.
In recent weeks, the media has repeatedly discussed the "brotherhood" within this team, a word that often does not carry as much weight as its literal meaning suggests. But if you want to understand why Tuchel always brings up this word, and whether this camaraderie really works, a review of the final stages of the match makes it clear.
England’s players covered for one another and fought for one another, with everyone working together to prevent Mexico from scoring. Konsa and Stones blocked every cross; Burn bravely headed away a shot most people would have avoided, clearing Jiménez’s bicycle kick; Spence sprinted back and forth, pressing and tackling, and was never beaten by an opponent. The players’ unity and shared purpose were the team’s only means of holding on in the match.
The contributions of every England player were equally significant. This article has not even mentioned Gordon, who also ran tirelessly throughout the match, never giving Mexico a moment's respite.
It was fitting that Pickford proved key to saving the team; he steadied the situation in the first half and secured the victory in the final minutes. During the time-wasting period at the end, the Everton goalkeeper remained calm throughout, without a hint of panic.
Eight years ago, in the same round of the FIFA World Cup in Moscow, Pickford's excellent performance in the penalty shootout helped England eliminate Colombia. That victory was once considered the greatest achievement of modern England men's football, but this match has now surpassed it. The only thing that could eclipse this victory is England reaching the semi-finals and ultimately lifting the trophy.
This has always been Tuchel's goal, and only after this match did people begin to believe in him.
He said that this competition had invigorated him, and he had never seemed so energetic: devising tactics, making substitutions, and using every possible method to combat the stadium noise, the chaos of the match, and the historical shadow of the Aztec Stadium.
Tuchel has always understood that football is ultimately a human Sport played on a real pitch, a competition of physical fitness, discipline, spatial awareness, distance control, and technical skill. All other external factors are just empty air.
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