incredible game between two strong contenders in what would be the last game at the most beautiful stadium of this World Cup. knockout stages are the worst and best parts of a tournament because only one team can go next but that means both teams will show their strongest moments to go to the next round. this game exemplified that and everything more. such heartbreak for mexico to lose at home after a tournament spell that made them look so positively different from roster to style but still reflects their football culture. unfortunately despite all the good changes, they still fall short again. massive props to england who came in ready to fight away from home in the most demanding places of football. while it seemed mexico has a big disadvantage with height difference, they could have also played that to their advantage with a lower center if gravity and draw fouls in the box. tuchel and england stayed true to their game plan and played the long mental game through technical tactics rather than mind games which is what mexico tried to do. subbing out quiñones was the first direction towards mexico’s defeat - if you sub out your best player who is adept at crossing and creating chances for your tallest man on the pitch (and is still shorter than some of the opponent’s roster) but continue to do the same plays for the last 20 minutes with no luck then you played right into england’s game plan too easily. congrats to england for making it out of that. as much as i despise england fanbase for getting the last word out of this game, i cannot deny that england had an absolute masterclass of a game at the azteca in World Cup 2026. POTM to Anthony Gordon who kept pushing at the right time and continued the engine for the england side. honorable mention to Bellingham for two quick goals that shook mexico and the azteca.