This one had absolutely everything. A red card, a raucous Azteca crowd, a Mexican legend's emotional farewell, and a scoreline that kept swinging until the final whistle. England went into Mexico City for a Round of 16 match that turned into, by Barstool's own account, another 'best soccer game ever' candidate: a 5-goal, 1-red-card thriller.
THE GAME OF THE TOURNAMENT. MEXICO IS LIVE
Down a man after Jarell Quansah's red card, Mexico refused to fold. Playing with 10 men, El Tri clawed back into it with a penalty conversion that pulled them within a goal, sending the Azteca into a frenzy most neutrals couldn't believe they were watching.
Mexico's penalty conversion while down to 10 men pulled them within one, 2-3.
Dave Portnoy, on the ground for it, called the atmosphere something that felt like it 'may explode any second' — and the footage backs that up, with the stadium roaring through every twist. England held on at 3-2, with Harry Kane getting on the scoresheet and looking completely gassed by the final whistle, and Jude Bellingham drawing a serenade from traveling fans after the performance he put in.
England fans applauded and sang for Bellingham after his standout night.
The night wasn't just about the scoreline, though. Guillermo 'Memo' Ochoa's likely final World Cup appearance for Mexico turned into a genuinely emotional moment on the sideline, a fitting sendoff for a keeper who's been a fixture of Mexican soccer for two decades. And England, in true away-day fashion, celebrated the win with their fans by belting out Wonderwall pitchside — 5,500 miles from home, Oasis still hits.
England players and supporters broke into a pitchside Wonderwall singalong after the final whistle.
The celebration came with a scare, though — Jordan Henderson appeared to pick up an injury in the aftermath, with FIFA medical staff tending to him pitchside after the match. It's the kind of thing that could complicate England's build toward the quarterfinal against Norway, a game now looming as the reward for surviving one of the wildest 90 minutes of the tournament.