That will go down as England’s greatest win on foreign soil.It was a night for heroes like Jude Bellingham, the likes of Jordan Pickford, Harry Kane and Anthony Gordon. It was the night it all came together.But the reason it stands apart from the rest is the context and setting. It also sets up England with a third consecutive World Cup quarter final and the promise of bigger days to come.England were facing the joint hosts in Mexico who had the whole country on their side and almost all of the 80,284 fans in the stadium as well. They were having to play at 7,200 feet above sea level while Mexico’s passionate fans can almost suck the ball into the net.‌Mexico have an astonishing home record - now just three home defeats this century - and they also have the best set of fans in the business. They are loud, passionate and really back their team which makes things very hostile for opponents.The home fans were loud, passionate and have been a joy through this tournament. When they stamped their feet, the stadium shook.It was four games in the World Cup before England came along without conceding a goal and that showed the size of the task.England have clearly won the 1966 World Cup but that was at Wembley and that in itself is maybe no coincidence. Home advantage is huge.‌Sign up to John Cross' exclusive newsletter every Friday - click hereYes, England have done so well to reach the World Cup semi final in Russia or the Euros final in Germany last summer. But neither tournament contained a game like this. Not when England were down to ten men after Jarell Quansah was sent off.Just add that to the circumstances: weather and climate, altitude levels but, most of all, England were playing a country.‌To play the co-hosts in their own stadium is just astonishing. They had to show such a great mentality. And great resilience with so many heroes which only add to the achievement.England may now find their performance in this game galvanises them through it all and they can go all the way.Kick off time was delayed by an hour which also affected the ore-match preparation. The stadium was so full, England were playing at 2am in the morning and the fans have carried their team through.Get the latest World Cup 2026 news in your inbox with our Make Football Great Again newsletter‌England had great wins in Munich when they thrashed Germany 5-1. Paul Ince’s heroics in Rome to secure World Cup coverage. England played well against Croatia in Euro 2004.But this performance just had everything: odds stacked against England, a raucous crowd and a difficult opponent who looked so up for it.This was truly heroic because they put their lives on the line and really embraced the pressure, circumstances and latitude. England had to dig in at 2-1 up and again at 3-2. They all ran and ran - no mean feat when pollution and altitude can be overwhelming.‌Have your say...where did England's win vs Mexico rank in their best ever away victoriesAll of this plays into the size of England’s achievement and where it ranks. I’ve been covering England for more than 26 years and that was as an entertaining game as I have seen.But it was also the most courageous and heroic on many levels when you consider they have beaten Mexico in their own backyard.‌Yes, England won in 66. Yes, there were some other big wins a few years back and beyond. But on foreign soil this was the best I have had the pleasure of watching.Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.Content cannot be displayed without consent