Key events
Summary of what else happened
Yeah there was another last-16 tie as well.
Here’s David Hytner’s match report on Mexico 2-3 England …
Barney Ronay on the Azteca experience: “The most extraordinary, agonising night of football as an experience of the mind, body, bones, guts, blood and back of the neck …”
To add a further element of befuddlement, Jordan Henderson somehow suffered “quite a serious injury” during post-match celebrations. He’s only had a brief cameo against Panama in this tournament but it would be a heartbreaking way for it to end for him …
Thomas Tuchel salutes his “heroic” charges and has a pop at the officials: “The referees are just not good enough, fourth officials are just not good enough, that’s the bottom line.”
How does Brazil 1-2 Norway already feel like it took place in a different month?
This just in from Leander Schaerlaekens from the scene of a shock that was no fluke.
double quotation mark Endrick, the prodigy, couldn’t save Brazil. He came on in the second half and almost immediately was set free by a needle-threading through ball from Vinícius, only to misplay it and poke his finish harmlessly wide.Neymar couldn’t save Brazil. He sent the Brazil fans into raptures merely by coming on as a substitute midway through the second half. He tried a few stepovers that somehow looked both quick and slow – much like Neymar himself in this late and diminished stage of his strange career. He rolled the late consolation goal past the wrongfooted Nyland from the penalty spot after the two exchanged some verbal hostilities, but it wasn’t nearly enough.
Carlo Ancelotti couldn’t save Brazil. The veteran coach managed to finally get Vinícius going, and to coax convincing 3-0 wins over Haiti and Scotland from his charges after a 1-1 draw with Morocco to open the tournament. He fashioned a late comeback win over a Japan team who perhaps deserved better. And that’s all he could do for Brazil, in the end.
In case you missed it, here’s Paul MacInnes’s match report …
And here’s Big Ol’ Erling Haaland and his head coach Ståle Solbakken on “the greatest day in Norwegian football history”. Replays of Haaland’s second were absolutely mesmerising – just an unbelievable strike of a football … and you know a hit from distance is good when an in-form Alisson at full stretch isn’t getting to it.
Cheers Mike, Hello world. As one of the foolhardy bunch who tried to navigate the overnight (BST) Mexico v England kick-off time with a series of tactical disco naps, I’m currently typing with hands driven by a brain that feels like it’s 90% pudding. That teeny-tiny one hour delay to the start … undeniably a blow.
Our north of England correspondent Hannah Al-Othman spoke to several who were trying to suss how the hell this was going to work.
Fellow sufferers: how’s it going?
Friends in time zones where this is generally how life always is for you when a major tournament rolls around: feel free to pass on tips, eye-rolls at how ridiculous we’re being etc.
Mike Hytner
And with that, I’ll hand you over to my colleague, Stuart Goodwin, who will take you through this next part of the day. Be kind to him, he hasn’t had much sleep. Bye for now.
“Hi Mike.” Hi Mark Fitzhenry. “I’m an American living in Vietnam who got up early (by my standards) to watch. England’s effort reminded me of improv wisdom from veteran improviser Joe Bill when things on stage go off-kilter: “Don’t play the show that you want. Play the show that you’re in.” This is not the way England would prefer to play, but given the altitude and venue and red card and everything else, they played exactly the way they had to, and were immense. Not saying they’re going to win (and I will certainly never say “f**tb*ll’s c*m*ng h*m*”) but any lingering doubts that this team can handle adversity should be gone.”
Max, Barry and the podcast crew have recorded the latest World Cup Daily episode, on all things England, “an unforgettable football match”, Haaland and Balogun.
“Text your bosses and tell them you’re not coming in.” Easy for Jude Bellingham to say, but the sentiment is fair, given the all-nighter England fans have pulled to stay up and watch their team’s heroics.
double quotation mark I have been an England fan since I was seven years old, the 2010 World Cup was my first one. Of course, in recent times we have had better moments but I remember watching a few tournaments and seeing a few of the players that are now on TV talking about it. They struggled in these types of nights and it was tough because it felt like the country never really got behind them.To be part of an England team that gives so much to the country and can give them nights like this, then it means just as much as anything in my career. There are going to be videos galore when I get in the changing room and check my phone. Kids stay off school, parents don’t go to work, enjoy your day, have the day off if you can, these nights don’t come often.
The inimitable Barney Ronay has filed his take on the Azteca madness:
Incredible scenes in the Norwegian capital last night, where 100,000 people gathered to celebrate their team’s progress to the quarter-finals, according to the national broadcaster. The population of Oslo is approximately 700,000. With one in seven Oslovians out partying until the wee hours, you can imagine productivity in the city may take a hit today.
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Are we about to watch Cristiano Ronaldo perform at a World Cup for the very last time when Portugal meet Spain in around 12 hours from now? Perhaps. The 41-year-old has confirmed he certainly won’t be returning to the World Cup arena in four years’ time at the ripe old age of 45, which means that if Spain can do a number on their Iberian cousins in Dallas, it’ll be the end of Ronaldo on the biggest stage of them all.
We haven’t even mentioned Balogun-gate yet. The Belgian FA, and you can assume a large proportion of the football world, has been left “astonished” by Fifa’s decision after lobbying by Donald Trump to reverse the suspension given to the striker for his red card in the team’s win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is now free to play in the last-16 game against Belgium.
Sources have told the Guardian that Trump made three calls to Fifa, starting from Wednesday, to ensure that the change was made.
Needless to say, the decision gives the co-hosts a huge boost ahead of the game with Belgium – Balogun has scored three times so far this World Cup and proved a consistent attacking threat. Belgium manager Rudi Garcia said he thought it was an April Fools joke, and I’m pretty sure we haven’t heard the end of this. So many questions. At least Matt Hughes has a few covered off for now:
A final post on England for the time being. Nick Ames was listening to Thomas Tuchel in his post-match presser. “A heroic performance and a heroic result,” was the England coach’s verdict.
double quotation mark I’m so happy with the players, and also for me, to live this experience in the last two days. Such a special memory, and against all the adversity it makes it very special for us. If a team has heart and belief then it’s this team. They did it on pure will. No words. Iconic match, iconic stadium, we overcame so much adversity today.
And what of England’s next opponents, Norway? It seems like an age ago that they faced Brazil in their last-16 clash in East Rutherford, given all the drama that has come since. Erling Haaland was up to Erling Haaland things in the 2-1 win, hailed afterwards as “the greatest day in Norwegian football history” (Ståle Solbakken) and “one of the sickest days” in Norway’s history (Haaland). A pretty good day to be a Norway fan, then. Paul MacInnes was there to soak up a momentous moment:
Never mind the atmosphere at the Azteca, how was it at a World Cup fan park in the north of England?
“Manchester hasn’t seen a wild weeknight party like this since Oasis rolled into town for their run of homecoming gigs almost exactly a year ago,” writes Hannah Al-Othman. “The long-awaited final whistle saw plastic pint pots flying through the air, people lifted on to shoulders and scarves and flags held aloft as the DJ threw on Oasis’s Wonderwall.”
It was a big night for Thomas Tuchel, who masterminded an England restructure after Quansah’s red card that proved crucial to his team’s success.
“It took a collective effort from England to dent Mexico’s daunting record at the Azteca,” writes Jacob Steinberg. “But it comes back to Tuchel.”
Have a read of Jacob’s full piece here:
Spare a thought for poor Jordan Henderson, England’s experienced midfielder/cheerleader who has seemingly ‘done a Steve Morrow’ by injuring himself during post-match celebrations while attempting to vault over an advertising hoarding at the Azteca. Henderson, who didn’t see any playing time on the night but still managed to get booked, was taken to hospital with what Tuchel described as “quite a serious injury to his wrist”. His participation in the rest of the tournament is now under threat.
A few snaps from the Azteca. The final few pics in this gallery tell a clear story about England’s delight at holding on during a fraught period of injury time.
Jude Bellingham was immense in Mexico City, scoring twice in two minutes but also playing a huge part at the other end of the pitch in a moment when England needed him most. “A supreme display,” writes Nick Ames, although not supreme enough to warrant full marks in his player ratings. An honourable mention goes to Dan Burn – it’s not often a 75th-minute substitute gets an 8. Here’s how the players fared:
What a night at the Azteca. So much happened over the course of 100-or so minutes of football. Where to start? How about this from David Hytner, who was there to witness what he reckons was “England’s finest World Cup knockout phase victory since 1966”.
Preamble
Mike Hytner
Hello football fans, wherever in the world you are. How’s the ticker? That was quite the heartstopper we’ve just witnessed in Mexico City. Five goals, two penalties, one red card, 12 minutes of injury time, a febrile atmosphere in a proper stadium and, ultimately, England delight contrasting with Mexico heartbreak. There’s quite a bit to unpack from that game, which we’ll attempt to do here, and plenty of other news to catch up on from a rather wild day at the World Cup, including the day’s other last-16 game between Norway and Brazil.
We’ll also look ahead to matches 93 and 94 of this World Cup – the small matter of a Spain v Portugal clash and then the co-hosts USA v Belgium, a game which Folarin Balogun will, against all normal convention, feature in.
If you have any thoughts on any of the above, or indeed anything else World Cup related, do get in touch with an email – mike.hytner@theguardian.com. Let’s get into it!
