06/07/2026
England Player Ratings vs Mexico: Brilliant Jude Bellingham Leads Ten-Man Three Lions to Thrilling World Cup Victory as Jordan Pickford and Harry Kane Stand Out
England’s stunning triumph over Mexico earns a lofty place among the Three Lions’ finest displays at major finals.Still basking in the thrill of victory – and perhaps short of oxygen after winning at altitude – we resisted the urge to immediately rank England’s extraordinary victory over the World Cup co-hosts as their greatest ever. There remains one performance that narrowly stays ahead.For clarity, ‘our lifetimes’ refers to tournaments from the 1982 World Cup onwards, and ‘finals performances’ includes the World Cup and European Championships, but excludes competitions like Le Tournoi or the Nations League.The Daily Mail match report from St Etienne once pondered: “Who knows if England would have overthrown the feared Argentinians had David Beckham not been sent off through a mix of his reckless petulance and an over-zealous referee? But what cannot be denied is that they played with such excitement that a dream quarter-final with Holland seemed a real possibility.”The match had everything: two early penalties, one for each side within ten minutes; a breathtaking solo goal from teenage sensation Michael Owen, who rounded the deepest-lying defender before firing into the top corner; and an equaliser from a clever set-piece – all before the break.The second half began disastrously for England, especially for Beckham, whose red card for a reaction to Diego Simeone’s foul sparked outrage and death threats. His teammates fought valiantly to compensate, their defensive resilience seemingly rewarded by Sol Campbell’s late header – until the referee intervened.Penalties followed the familiar script. David Batty and Paul Ince missed, leaving Beckham as the scapegoat, even on the night Owen introduced himself to the world stage.Bobby Robson’s England were in trouble heading into their final Group 6 match against Poland in Monterrey after losing to Portugal and drawing 0-0 with Morocco, with Bryan Robson injured and Ray Wilkins sent off.“England will be playing 4-4-f*cking-2,” Robson reportedly quipped as he abandoned 4-3-3. The change worked wonders, as Gary Lineker hit a first-half hat-trick. Football Monthly described it as “an exhilarating display of attacking football” that sent England soaring into the second round.Afterward, a defiant Robson declared: “People can say what they like about me, but never accuse my players of lacking character. This was a phenomenal performance given the pressure they were under. Phenomenal!”Following the agony of 1998, destiny brought England and Argentina together again four years later. This time, in Sapporo, revenge was sweet. Beckham struck the decisive penalty just before half-time after Owen was fouled by Mauricio Pochettino.The Daily Express said, “They outplayed the tournament favourites. England defended with discipline, passed with intelligence, and attacked with purpose.” The Times hailed Paul Scholes’ 9/10 performance as “the best of his career.” Argentina’s failure to progress from the group made it even sweeter.In 1996, football was “coming home” – until it wasn’t. Before the heartbreak of penalties, England had shown immense spirit. Germany matched them physically, but early on, the Three Lions were dominant. Paul Ince’s volley forced a fine save before Alan Shearer scored a fifth-minute header. Stefan K***z equalised on 16 minutes.Extra-time brought drama: Darren Anderton hit the post, and Paul Gascoigne was inches away from converting Shearer’s cross. The shoot-out was flawless until Gareth Southgate’s miss ended it. Barry Davies famously said, “If I could take one game to heaven, it would be that England match – though I’d try to change the result once I got there.”Italia ’90 divided opinions – England’s performances swung between poor and heroic. From a dull opener against Ireland, which led La Repubblica to ask “Is this all there is to England?”, to the thrilling semi-final against Germany described by Andreas Brehme as “a fantastic match between two great teams – the final before the final.”After scraping past Belgium and Cameroon, England’s luck ran out in Turin. Gary Lineker summarised: “We hit the post, they got a lucky goal, and we lost on penalties.” Brehme later insisted, “If England had reached the final, they would have beaten Argentina – 100 per cent.”Fast forward to Euro 2021, when England finally broke their Germany curse in the knockout stage for the first time since 1966. Under Gareth Southgate, they cleared three of four long-standing hurdles: beating Germany, winning on penalties, and reaching a final. Only winning the tournament remained.Admittedly, this wasn’t a vintage German side, but they were still formidable. In a tense, tactical battle, England controlled the game and sealed it late on through Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane.Three years later, at the 2026 World Cup in Qatar, Southgate’s quest for ultimate glory continued. England earned another shot at greatness by defeating the Netherlands, exorcising the ghost of Ronald Koeman from 1993.What was most satisfying – the first-half brilliance where England played their best football of the tournament, or Ollie Watkins’ dramatic last-minute winner? Both. For 45 minutes, England dazzled as Phil Foden and Kobbie Mainoo orchestrated play with youthful flair before Koeman packed the midfield to stifle them.The second half slowed, prompting predictable cries for substitutions. Eventually, Kane and Foden made way for Cole Palmer and Watkins. The latter later “swore on his children’s lives” he knew he’d score – and he did, spinning and smashing home a sensational winner. His two touches earned him Player of the Match and sent England to a second straight Euros final.Back in 1982, England’s campaign began in style. Without Kevin Keegan and Trevor Brooking, they beat a strong France side with Michel Platini, Alain Giresse, and Jean Tigana. Bryan Robson scored after just 27 seconds – one of the fastest World Cup goals ever – then added another before Paul Mariner sealed it.Ron Greenwood’s side won all three first-round matches before drawing their two second-group games, finishing unbeaten. The Times wrote, “English fly home with their heads held high,” while The Guardian said, “England out with honour intact.” It was a different era – before England managers were tabloid fodder.Then came the Mexico clash. The altitude, the partisan crowd at the Azteca, and the daunting conditions had many predicting doom. But Jude Bellingham and company were undeterred. The midfielder scored twice in three minutes, leading a near-perfect team performance. Jarell Quansah saw red early in the second half, yet Thomas Tuchel’s men defended resolutely to preserve the win.Every player was exceptional. Simply put, England were brilliant.Finally, back to Euro ’96, when football was supposed to come home. England’s 4-1 demolition of the Netherlands is still revered. Shearer’s early penalty gave them the lead, but the Dutch were dangerous until halftime. Then came a spell of brilliance: three goals in 11 minutes – two from Sheringham, one more from Shearer – in a dazzling display. Even Patrick Kluivert’s late consolation, which helped Scotland, couldn’t spoil it. As Terry Venables succinctly put it: “We thrashed them. No doubt about it.”
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