Haaland crushes Brazil; England hold off Mexico to reach the quarter-finals

In stoppage time, Neymar – likely making his final World Cup appearance for Brazil – converted a penalty in the 90’+10’ minute, but by then it was too late. At the final whistle, the Brazilian players were in tears, with Vinicius and Casemiro devastated on the pitch, and there was deep disappointment at an elimination that the Seleção had not suffered in the round of 16 since 1990. Brazil created more chances but paid the price for their lack of clinical finishing. Ancelotti leaves the tournament with regrets.

Norway put in a display of great maturity, defending with discipline and striking at key moments. The Scandinavians have reached the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in their history. The MVP award inevitably goes to Erling Haaland, who scored the decisive brace and was Norway’s driving force. Goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland was also crucial, saving Guimarães’s penalty and making several vital saves.

The atmosphere at the Azteca is extraordinary. Spurred on by a stadium filled almost entirely with Mexican fans, El Tri got off to an enthusiastic start, but England struck with a devastating two-minute flurry.

In the 36th minute, Jude Bellingham opened the scoring with a header from a cross by Bukayo Saka, following a deadly run into the penalty area. Play had barely resumed when, in the 38th minute, the Real Madrid midfielder made it 2–0, capitalising on a high ball and an assist from Harry Kane.

Mexico, however, did not give up. They began to launch a series of attacks that were thwarted by the English goalkeeper Pickford, who made some excellent saves. Although he was powerless to stop Julián Quiñones’ close-range shot in the 42nd minute.

The moment that looked set to change everything came in the 54th minute, when England’s Jarell Quansah was sent off, leaving the Three Lions a man down. A few minutes later, however, Mexico made a fatal mistake: goalkeeper Rangel brought down Gordon as he came off his line, conceding a penalty which Harry Kane converted in the 60th minute to make it 3–1.

In the 69th minute, Mexico were also awarded a penalty, which Raúl Jiménez converted, setting the stage for a nail-biting finish. Mexico kept pressing, but England held out until the referee’s final whistle, thanks to Pickford’s saves.

Mexico played with great pride in front of their home crowd, but paid dearly for a number of defensive errors and failed to capitalise fully on their numerical advantage.

England showed character, quality and the ability to dig deep. Jude Bellingham was the standout performer, scoring a brace that turned the match in their favour. Harry Kane also put in an excellent performance, scoring a goal and providing an assist.

The most iconic images of the night came after the final whistle. At the Azteca, the English players gathered beneath their supporters’ stand and sang Oasis’s “Wonderwall”, which has now become the soundtrack to Thomas Tuchel’s national team during this World Cup. Bellingham, Kane and their teammates celebrated their qualification alongside the fans in an atmosphere brimming with enthusiasm and hope.

On the other side of the continent, however, Brazil was experiencing one of its saddest nights. The Seleção players remained on the pitch for a long time, staring into space, aware that they had failed in their bid for a sixth World Cup title. Tears and disappointment marked the Seleção’s exit from the tournament, betrayed by the relentless Haaland and a Norway side that had made history.

On 11 July at Miami Stadium, Norway and England will face off for a place in the semi-finals. It will be a clash between the tournament’s most devastating striker, Erling Haaland, and one of the most well-rounded teams still in the running. A quarter-final that promises to be a real spectacle.