World Cup 2026: Thomas Tuchel hails England's fighting spirit after Mexico thriller

MEXICO CITY: England head coach Thomas Tuchel hailed his side's resilience after they battled to a dramatic 3-2 victory over Mexico in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16, insisting his players never lost belief despite a series of setbacks here at the Azteca Stadium on Sunday.

England secured their place in the quarter-finals after overcoming a spirited Mexican side, even after being reduced to 10 men following Jarrell Quansah's second-half dismissal.

Jude Bellingham gave the Three Lions a commanding lead with two goals in the space of two minutes before Julian Quinones pulled one back for the hosts just before the interval.

Harry Kane restored England's two-goal advantage from the penalty spot after the break, while Raul Jimenez's spot-kick set up a nervy finish.

Reflecting on the performance, Tuchel praised his team's mentality and determination in difficult moments.

"I'm very proud. We needed everything. It was super difficult. In the moments we thought we catch the momentum, we had setbacks. That is proper mentality. When the going gets tough, they never give up, they never lose belief. It was one step more," Tuchel said.

England had to withstand sustained Mexican pressure after Quansah's red card in the 54th minute, but the European side showed composure and defensive discipline to preserve their narrow lead until the final whistle.

The victory also ended Mexico's impressive World Cup run on home soil and booked England a quarter-final meeting with Norway in Miami.

Tuchel's men have now progressed to the last eight after consecutive hard-fought knockout victories and will look to carry their fighting spirit into the next stage as they continue their pursuit of World Cup glory.