Jude Bellingham produced a masterclass under the brightest lights, scoring twice in just 98 seconds as 10-man England survived a furious Mexico fightback to claim a thrilling 3-2 victory and book a FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinal showdown with Norway.

In an unforgettable Round-of-16 contest at Mexico City Stadium, delayed by an hour due to adverse weather, England showcased both attacking brilliance and defensive resilience. Harry Kane added a crucial penalty before the Three Lions dug deep for more than 40 minutes with 10 men after Jarell Quansah's second-half red card.

The victory sends England into the World Cup quarterfinals for the third successive edition, only the second time they have achieved the feat after their run between 1962 and 1970, which included lifting the trophy in 1966.

It also ended Mexico's unbeaten FIFA World Cup record at the Mexico City Stadium and marked England's first appearance at the venue since their heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to Argentina in the 1986 quarterfinal.

Mexico began brightly, dominating possession and pinning England deep inside their own half. But the game turned dramatically in the space of 98 breathtaking seconds.

Bukayo Saka delivered an inviting cross that Bellingham powered home with a commanding header to open the scoring. Before the hosts could recover, Mexico surrendered possession straight from the restart, Harry Kane released Bellingham, and the Real Madrid midfielder calmly slotted home his second to stun the packed stadium.

The co-hosts responded almost immediately through Julian Quinones, whose powerful finish beat Jordan Pickford from close range to halve the deficit. Mexico continued to press relentlessly, but Pickford produced a superb save to deny Raul Jimenez before halftime and preserve England's slender advantage.

England almost extended their lead after the restart when Nico O'Reilly struck the post, but the momentum shifted moments later as Quansah was shown a red card for a challenge on Jesus Gallardo, leaving the visitors to play the remainder of the match with 10 men.

Despite the setback, England struck again. Mexico goalkeeper Raul Rangel brought down Anthony Gordon inside the penalty area, and Kane coolly dispatched the resulting spot-kick for his sixth goal of the tournament, restoring England's two-goal cushion.

The drama was far from over.

Kane then conceded a penalty at the other end after a VAR review found he had fouled Brian Gutierrez. Raul Jimenez converted from the spot to make it 3-2 and ignite hopes of an extraordinary comeback.

Roared on by the home crowd, Mexico threw everything forward in the closing stages, but England's depleted defence stood firm to seal a memorable victory.

England will now face Norway in the quarterfinals in Miami on 11 July, with Bellingham and Kane leading a side that continues to grow in belief after surviving one of the tournament's most dramatic knockout ties.

With IANS inputs