Bellingham Silences the Azteca, Haaland Kills Brazil’s Dream — World Cup 2026 Quarter-Final Sunday Round-Up
By Sportsoya | July 6, 2026
England vs Mexico 2026 delivered one of the great World Cup matches a breathless, chaotic, extraordinary night at the Estadio Azteca that ended 3-2 to England, with ten men, at altitude, against a co-host nation that had not conceded a single goal in five previous matches at this tournament.
Meanwhile in East Rutherford, Norway made history by eliminating Brazil 2-1 sending the five-time champions home in the most stunning result of the round and booking a quarter-final against England on Saturday.
It was the greatest Sunday in the history of this World Cup. Here is everything that happened.
England 3-2 Mexico — The Night Bellingham Rewrote History
Nobody in English football history had ever won at the Azteca in a World Cup. In ten previous attempts going back to the infamous 1986 quarter final when Diego Maradona’s hand sent them crashing out England had never beaten Mexico in their own fortress.
On Sunday night, forty years after Maradona, Jude Bellingham stood in the same stadium and did something that had never been done before.
Two Goals in 98 Seconds
Kickoff was delayed by an hour due to lightning storms close to the stadium as if the occasion needed any more theatre. When proceedings finally began the atmosphere was unlike anything England had faced at this World Cup 2026. For the first 35 minutes England struggled at altitude, with Jordan Pickford forced into an early save to deny Raúl Jiménez. Mexico were dominant. England looked rattled.
Then came 98 seconds that will be replayed for decades.
In the 36th minute Bukayo Saka looped a cross to the back post and Bellingham headed home to bring the decibel level crashing down inside the Azteca. The home fans had barely processed the shock before England struck again Bellingham getting beyond César Montes to convert Harry Kane‘s ball back across goal. 2-0. Ninety-eight seconds. The Azteca fell silent in a way nobody inside that stadium had ever experienced before.
In doing so Bellingham became the first player to score twice at the Azteca since Diego Maradona himself in 1986. The symmetry was not lost on anyone.
Mexico responded. Julián Quiñones thrashed a volley past Pickford to halve the deficit before half time, and Jiménez forced two brilliant saves from Pickford that kept England’s lead intact at the break.
The Red Card That Should Have Killed England
The decisive moment arrived on 54 minutes. Jarell Quansah went sliding into a challenge on Jesús Gallardo. The referee initially waved play on but VAR intervened a straight red card for a high and dangerous challenge. England were down to ten men. Thirty-six minutes plus stoppage time awaited. At altitude. Against 80,824 fans screaming for an equalizer.
Most teams would have crumbled. England responded immediately.
Six minutes after the red card Anthony Gordon drove into the Mexican penalty area and was brought down by goalkeeper Raúl Rangel. Kane stepped up and converted. 3-1. A moment of astonishing character from a reduced side.
The match turned once more. Kane himself was penalised for a foul on substitute Brian Gutiérrez and Raúl Jiménez calmly converted his own penalty. 3-2. Eleven minutes of added time. An onslaught that never produced an equalizer.
Kane’s penalty was his sixth goal of the tournament taking him to 14 World Cup goals in total and level with Gerd Müller for fifth place on the all-time scoring list. His performance also made him the first player since at least 1966 to both score and concede a penalty in the same World Cup match a statistic that captures the chaos of the night perfectly.
Pickford was outstanding in those final minutes. John Stones blocked a clear-cut chance in the 100th minute. Djed Spence made a last ditch tackle. England survived.
What This Win Actually Means
Three things stand out from this result that statistics alone cannot capture.
First this is England’s most significant away win in World Cup history. No team had beaten Mexico in a World Cup game at the Azteca in ten previous attempts. England did it with ten men, at altitude, against a side that had kept five consecutive clean sheets at this tournament. The context makes this result extraordinary.
Second Bellingham has become the defining player of this tournament. He has now scored in three of England’s five matches. Both his goals here came through perfectly timed runs into the box not luck, not deflections, but the most difficult skill in football executed under maximum pressure in the most hostile possible environment. His goal-saving clearance from a César Montes header at the end of the first half preventing what looked like a certain Mexican equalizer showed the complete picture of what he contributes.
Third England’s right-back situation is a genuine crisis heading into Saturday’s quarter-final. Reece James is injured. Quansah is suspended. That leaves Djed Spence or Ezri Konsa at right-back against Norway neither natural in that position. Erling Haaland will target that side relentlessly from the first minute. Tuchel has a major problem to solve.
Norway 2-1 Brazil — Haaland Makes History, Neymar Retires in Tears
While England were grinding through their Azteca ordeal, something equally historic was unfolding at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.
Norway eliminated Brazil 2-1. The five-time world champions who had hired Carlo Ancelotti specifically to end a 24-year wait for a World Cup title are going home in the round of 16 for only the second time since 1990.
The match was tense, tight and decided by moments of individual brilliance. Ørjan Nyland was outstanding in the Norway goal saving Bruno Guimarães’ penalty in the 14th minute and making multiple crucial stops throughout to keep the score level until the final stages. Brazil created the better chances for long stretches but could not convert.
Then came Haaland. In the 79th minute Andreas Schjelderup whipped a cross from the left and Haaland rose above Gabriel Magalhães to power a header into the corner. Brazil were rattled. Ten minutes later, a left-footed Haaland effort from outside the box hammered into the corner. 2-0. Norway were through.
Neymar came on in the 67th minute and scored a late consolation penalty his first goal of the tournament to make it 2-1. But there was no miracle comeback. Brazil were eliminated. Their earliest World Cup exit since 1990.
Haaland now has seven goals at this tournament level with Messi and Mbappé at the top of the Golden Boot standings. His scoring run now extends to 14 consecutive competitive international matches for Norway 27 goals in that span. As we saw when he scored twice against Senegal in the group stage, this man simply does not stop.
Neymar Announces International Retirement
In the aftermath of Brazil’s elimination came the announcement that ended an era.
Neymar Brazil’s all-time leading scorer announced his retirement from international football after the final whistle. The 34-year-old was visibly emotional at the end, knowing that his late penalty would be his final contribution in a Brazil shirt. He ends his international career with 80 goals and a legacy defined as much by what never happened the World Cup as by what did. Brazil’s greatest individual talent of the modern era leaves the international stage without the one trophy that would have completed his story.
What Comes Next — England vs Norway
Saturday in Miami. England vs Norway. Two sides that have been on extraordinary journeys to reach the last eight both facing questions their coaches need to answer before kickoff.
For England the right-back crisis is real and urgent. For Norway the question is whether Haaland can maintain this level when it matters most against an England side with genuine defensive quality when fully fit.
As we have seen throughout this World Cup 2026 round of 32 and beyond nothing is predictable. Reputations mean nothing. Any team can beat any team on the day.
England won at the Azteca with ten men. Norway eliminated Brazil. Saturday will be something special.
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