A quickfire double from Jude Bellingham and a second-half penalty from Harry Kane gave England a thrilling 3-2 win over Mexico in their World Cup round-of-16 clash at the Azteca Stadium, despite Thomas Tuchel's side playing with 10 men for most of the second half after a red card for Jarell Quansah.
After an intense but mostly cagey opening half an hour, the game sparked into action in the 36th minute when England hit the hosts on the counter, Bukayo Saka looping a cross to the back post where Bellingham was on hand to head home and bring the decibel level down a notch.
The home fans would be quietened further just 98 seconds later, when Bellingham doubled England's advantage. The midfielder laid the ball wide to Harry Kane and then got beyond César Montes to convert Kane's ball back across goal and put England in dreamland.
But the Azteca came back to life four minutes after that, when Ezri Konsa failed to clear Roberto Alvarado's free kick and Julián Quiñones slammed the ball home on the volley. England needed a terrific save from Jordan Pickford and a goal-saving intervention from Bellingham to remain in front at the break.
England's efforts to hold onto their lead got even harder just nine minutes into the second half when Quansah was sent off for a poor challenge on Jesús Gallardo, the Bayer Leverkusen man going over the top of the ball onto the Mexican's shin.
A thrilling game took another turn on the hour mark when Anthony Gordon got on the end of Kane's knock down and was brought down by goalkeeper Raúl Rangel. Rangel dived the right way from the resulting penalty but couldn't keep out Kane. Out of nowhere, England had restored their two-goal lead.
But less than 10 minutes after converting, Kane handed Mexico another route back into the game when he kicked through Brian Gutiérrez's leg. Jimenez duly slotted the penalty, and prompted a Mexican onslaught.
England, however, would hold on for a famous victory, and set up a quarterfinal clash with Norway on Saturday.
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England's best World Cup performance of the 21st century?
When Harry Kane attempted to do his post-match interview with the BBC after what must have felt like the longest game of his career, it quickly became apparent that he could barely talk.
He dutifully strained to try and give a few answers, his voice climbing higher and higher. It was nothing compared to the strain he and his teammates had just put themselves under to somehow emerge from the Azteca -- a stadium where no team had ever beaten Mexico in a World Cup game, in 10 attempts -- with a win.
When Quansah was dismissed less than 10 minutes into the second half, it looked ominous for England. But, not content to follow the script written by the majority of the 87,000 fans within the Azteca, England restored their two-goal lead and hung on for dear life.
Jordan Pickford, Djed Spence and Dan Burn took turns throwing their bodies on the line to block Mexican attack after Mexican attack.
Eight years ago, England had arguably their most memorable World Cup moment since Italia '90 when they beat Colombia on penalties in Russia.
Sunday's performance had all the fight and tenacity of that game, but with buckets more quality. This will be the benchmark for England performances going forward.
Jude Bellingham's greatest night
When Jude Bellingham first moved to Real Madrid, it took many by surprise when he started popping up with vital goals on an almost weekly basis. How was it that this 20-year-old midfielder had suddenly turned into one of the world's best poachers?
Three years later and, while Bellingham has still impressed on plenty of occasions, he has started to face some criticism -- not least from his own manager.
Sunday night's performance was a reminder of what he offers, and then some. The 23-year-old showed impressive presence of mind to dovetail with Kane for his first, and sheer determination to beat Montes to the ball for the second.
Perhaps his most impressive intervention of the half came in stoppage time, when he stretched out a leg to clear when Montes looked certain to score.
With England down to 10 men for most of the second half, Bellingham's role changed again, as he was tasked with forming part of a wall of white shirts intent on doing anything to keep Mexico out. They did. When the final whistle finally blew, he collapsed to his knees, having epitomised the fight and the spirit England needed to somehow emerge with a win.
The last player to score twice in a World Cup game at the Azteca? Diego Maradona in 1986.
Team lineups
Mexico: Rangel; Sánchez (Fidalgo 79'), Montes (Álvarez 46'), Vásquez, Gallardo; Mora (Giménez 61'), Lira, Romo (Gutiérrez 61'); Alvarado, Quiñones (Martínez 81'), Jiménez
Unused substitutes: Acevedo, M.Chávez, L.Chávez, González, Huerta, Ochoa, Pineda, Reyes, Vargas, Vega
Goals: Quiñones (42'), Jiménez (69')
England: Pickford; Quansah, Konsa, Guéhi, O'Reilly (Spence 74'); Anderson (Burn 75'), Rice, Bellingham; Saka (Stones 57'), Gordon, Kane (Rogers 90')
Unused substitutes: Rashford, Chalobah, D.Henderson, J.Henderson, Mainoo, Watkins, Madueke, Eze, Toney, Trafford, James
Goals: Bellingham (36') (38'), Kane (60')
Snapshot from the match
Key stats
England are the first team in World Cup history to beat Mexico at the Azteca. El Tri were unbeaten in the previous 10.
England have qualified for the World Cup quarterfinals for the third consecutive tournament, equalling their best ever streak.
This was England's first World Cup victory against a home nation since they beat Switzerland in 1954.
Jude Bellingham is the first player since Diego Maradona to score two goals in a World Cup game at the Azteca.
This is the first time in the 21st century that Mexico have conceded three goals in a game at the Azteca. They conceded more today than in all of their previous 10 World Cup matches at the Azteca combined (two).
