England beat Mexico 3-2 to reach World Cup quarter-finals after Bellingham brace

England reach World Cup quarter-finals with 3-2 win over Mexico

England beat Mexico 3-2 in England on Monday, manager and team sources reported after the match played in the early hours of the day, with Jude Bellingham scoring two goals in two minutes and England advancing to the World Cup quarter-finals.

Pubs across England stayed open late following a government licensing U-turn that allowed venues to remain open until 05:00, with the Brittania Inn in St Austell hosting about 350 spectators and The Ship Inn in Trefin among the few Welsh pubs to stay open for the fixture.

Schools organised “as-live” viewings so pupils could watch together; at Malmesbury Church of England Primary School in Wiltshire and Castleway Primary in Leasowe children watched the match during school hours and celebrated the result with classmates.

Fans and workers responded in different ways: some workplaces, including MT Finance Group and PLMR, allowed later start times, Octopus Energy delayed some home visits, and a distribution centre in Rochdale watched the game during a shift.

Supporters shared personal stories of how they watched: one woman saw part of the match over a taxi driver’s shoulder at Birmingham Airport, while others described trying to stay quiet at home to avoid waking sleeping children during the late fixture.

Several public figures and workers reported fatigue the next morning, with Labour MP Stella Creasy describing the school run after the match as like having “ten espressos and a Red Bull chaser,” and BBC presenter Katharine Merry saying she dozed off and missed the game after the kick-off delay.

Some venues adapted to the demand: Cramptons Sports Bar in Broadstairs added facilities and expected higher takings for the upcoming quarter-final, while a few pubs offered promotions tied to goals scored.

Journalists who watched the match as-live or on playback described attempts to keep noise down to avoid disturbing children or early-shift colleagues, and families who watched the re-run at 06:00 reported starting their workdays in high spirits.

The win sets England up for a quarter-final match against Norway with a 22:00 kick-off on Saturday, a more conventional start time compared with Monday’s early hours, as the team and supporters look ahead to the next stage of the tournament.