{"id":128140,"date":"2026-07-06T12:52:39","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T11:52:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=128140"},"modified":"2026-07-06T12:52:39","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T11:52:39","slug":"england-survive-mexico-scare-to-set-up-haaland-showdown-with-norway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/england-survive-mexico-scare-to-set-up-haaland-showdown-with-norway\/","title":{"rendered":"England Survive Mexico Scare to Set Up Haaland Showdown With Norway"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em>By Oscar Okhifo<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">England withstood a stirring second-half fightback from co-hosts Mexico to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory on Sunday and book their place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where an Erling Haaland-inspired Norway await in what promises to be one of the tournament&#8217;s standout encounters.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Three Lions appeared to be cruising after Jude Bellingham struck twice in quick succession before captain Harry Kane calmly converted from the penalty spot to hand Thomas Tuchel&#8217;s side a commanding 3-0 advantage.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, Mexico refused to surrender in front of a passionate home crowd at the Estadio Azteca. Juli\u00e1n Qui\u00f1ones pulled one back before the interval to breathe life into the contest and set the stage for a gripping second half.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">England&#8217;s task became significantly more difficult when defender Jarell Quansah was sent off following a VAR review for a reckless challenge, forcing Tuchel&#8217;s men to play the remainder of the match with 10 players.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sensing their opportunity, Mexico piled forward in search of a comeback. Veteran striker Ra\u00fal Jim\u00e9nez converted a penalty to reduce the deficit to 3-2, sparking a tense finale as the hosts relentlessly searched for an equaliser.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The pressure intensified during 11 minutes of stoppage time, but England held firm. Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford produced a series of crucial saves, while the defence repelled wave after wave of Mexican attacks to preserve the narrow lead and secure passage to the last eight.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bellingham&#8217;s dazzling first-half display ultimately proved decisive, with the midfielder once again delivering when it mattered most to continue his outstanding World Cup campaign.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Awaiting England in the quarter-finals is Norway, who earlier produced one of the biggest shocks of the tournament by knocking out five-time champions Brazil with a stunning 2-1 victory.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Erling Haaland was the hero for the Scandinavians, scoring twice in the closing stages to crush Brazil&#8217;s hopes of winning a record-extending sixth World Cup title and propel Norway into the last eight.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The quarter-final now pits two of football&#8217;s brightest stars against one another, with Haaland and Bellingham arriving in scintillating form after match-winning performances that have underlined their status among the game&#8217;s elite.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Their meeting is already shaping up to be one of the marquee fixtures of the tournament, with a place in the semi-finals at stake.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">With the competition entering its decisive phase and the margins for error becoming ever smaller, the race for football&#8217;s biggest prize continues to gather intensity.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">As the quarter-finals beckon, the tournament&#8217;s biggest names are rising to the occasion, promising more drama, more quality and more unforgettable moments in the pursuit of World Cup glory.<\/p>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Oscar Okhifo England withstood a stirring second-half fightback from co-hosts Mexico to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory on Sunday and book their place in the quarter-finals of the 2026&hellip;<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":128141,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-128140","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - 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