Tuchel: ‘This team really mean it’

England reached the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final after enjoying a dramatic victory against co-hosts Mexico at the famous Azteca Stadium.

Jude Bellingham scored two quickfire goals in the first half, before Harry Kane’s penalty helped the Three Lions to secure one of their greatest World Cup results.

Following the game, England head coach Tuchel was full of praise for his team, who were reduced to ten men in the 54th-minute after a red card for defender Jarell Quansah, but battled relentlessly to defend their lead.

‘An iconic match’

"I am very proud,” he said. “We needed everything. It was super difficult.

“In the moments we thought we could catch the momentum, we had setbacks. That is proper mentality. This team really mean it. When the going gets tough, they never give up, they never lose belief. It was one step more.

"We need to take this in. This is Azteca, it's Mexico, a crazy game. We left everything out there, every single one of us. We need to take this in, now it's full steam ahead."

He added: “If a team has heart and a team has belief, on pure will. I have no words, an iconic match in an iconic stadium and we overcame so much adversity today. Full credit, very proud.”

‘I think we can play much better’

Tuchel was clearly over the moon with his team’s performance, as he guided England to the last eight in his first tournament as an international manager.

However, he believes there is still more to come from the Three Lions.

“Everyone is exhausted; everyone knows that it was a crazy match of football in a crazy atmosphere,” he said. “We were up against all odds. Everything went against us and we just refused to give in.

“I think we can play much better; there’s a lot we can do better. There is still a disconnect from us and the best version of us that I see, to what we actually put on the pitch in terms of football performance, ball possession and finding spaces.

“There’s still a disconnect, but there’s no disconnect in commitment and doing what is needed to overcome anything that is thrown at this team; it’s a team everyone can be really proud of.”

England will play Norway for a place in the semi-finals. The match will take place on Saturday 11 July at (10pm BST) at the Miami Stadium.