Jude Bellingham scored twice in a monumental England performance as they beat Mexico 3-2 at the Azteca to reach the World Cup quarter-finals.
England were up against it ahead of the game as Mexico had lost just twice in 56 years at the Azteca and the Three Lions had some torrid memories of the stadium from 40 years ago.
However, Thomas Tuchel’s side buried those old ghosts to beat Mexico 3-2 at the Azteca, while playing more than 40 minutes in the second half with ten men after Jarell Quansah was sent off.
Djed Spence, who has come under fire at the World Cup, was part of a resolute defensive performance that ensured that England reached the quarter-finals.
Jude Bellingham shows special appreciation for Djed Spence
Djed Spence was a controversial selection from Tuchel when he was picked in the England World Cup squad after a season at Tottenham, who finished 17th in the league.
A couple of poor performances brought further scrutiny, and even the England manager showed his frustration on the touchline for some of Spence’s decisions on the pitch.
The Tottenham defender came on in the 73rd minute at the Azteca as England pushed to defend their lead, and produced a tenacious defensive performance
Djed Spence just put on a GENERATIONAL shift! 🔥
Shut down everything, bombed forward, and completely took over the game. #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/3RGFltMZjE
— Footballnus (@footballnus) July 6, 2026
His excellent tackle inside the penalty box stopped a Mexican attacker from going through on goal in the last ten minutes, and he made a few other excellent defensive contributions.
Jude Bellingham sought out Djed Spence to celebrate his performance after England’s win against Mexico 🤝 pic.twitter.com/WGOUxEZUe4
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) July 6, 2026
Spence’s performance was brilliant, and Bellingham, the goalscoring hero of the night for England, sought out Spence after the final whistle and hailed him for what he did to help the Three Lions.
He has had his critics at the World Cup, and the decision to take him to the tournament was divisive. However, Spence silenced some of his detractors at the Azteca.
Leeds fans do not have fond memories of the defender
Djed Spence has always been considered a special talent, and Leeds signed him on loan from Tottenham in the summer of 2023 on a season-long deal.
There were huge expectations from the full-back at Elland Road. However, it became clear very early that Daniel Farke didn’t really fancy him.
He made just seven Championship appearances for Leeds before the club decided to cut short his loan in January and send him back to Spurs.
There were rumblings about his attitude behind the scenes and the Leeds manager was quick to sanction his exit in the middle of the season.
