England survived a wild afternoon at Estadio Azteca on July 5, beating Mexico 3-2 in the World Cup round of 16, but manager Thomas Tuchel wasn’t in a celebratory mood at the post-match press conference. Instead, he took aim at referee Alireza Faghani and the broader officiating apparatus, declaring that “the referees are just not good enough.”
A match that had everything, including controversy
The round of 16 fixture at Mexico City’s iconic Estadio Azteca was dramatic even by World Cup knockout standards. Two penalties were awarded across the 90-plus minutes, one for each side, and England’s Jarrell Quansah was shown a red card that was reviewed by VAR before being upheld.
That sending-off forced England to play with ten men for much of the second half. England somehow turned it into a plot twist, grinding out the victory despite the numerical disadvantage.
The result sends England into the quarterfinals, where they’ll face Norway on July 11 at Miami Stadium.
