England beat Mexico 3-2 at the Estadio Azteca Stadium to progress to the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the early hours of Monday morning.
However, there were plenty of issues even before the teams even kicked off which affected those watching closer to home as well.
Thunder storms set kick off back by one hour to 2am in the United Kingdom and when many people would’ve called it quits and gone home, the staff at Clissold Park Tavern in north east London sought out a fast solution.
DJ decks were pulled out, the lights dimmed, and the bass of heavy beats kicked in.
The pub’s late-night licence and lock-in turned into a north London rave to keep optimism high and fans awake.
Multitasking staff were serving pints and UK dance floor classics fans remixed the words of Moloko’s Sing It Back to “2am, 2am, 2am! Sing it back to me!”
Pub general manager Mike said: “We had to get the decks out to try and keep the vibes high.
“I even jumped on the decks myself but after pressing a couple buttons I had no clue what I was doing.”
Those inside the venue were soaking in positive vibes and two stepping away, counting down the hours.
In the delirious hours of the morning, people were off their bar stools and throwing shapes.
Katy, a fan from south east London said, “My dad called me mad for coming out, but I told him it’s once every four years.
“Life’s too short to not be mad.
“I have work tomorrow but I had to be here.”
The atmosphere in the pub was nothing compared to that of the Azteca stadium.
Two goals from Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham and a penalty from captain Harry Kane saw England just about kept the co-hosts at bay, but it wasn’t easy.
The Azteca Stadium is the largest in Latin America, seating 87,523 people, as well as being at an altitude of 7,220 feet above sea level.
Mexico had not lost competitive match at their high-altitude colosseum since 2013 either, losing just two in their last 88 matches.
England knew that they had to start well and not lose their footing in such a monumental fixture.
However, the Three Lions’ No 10 Bellingham was on a mission to etch his name into the history books, and two goals in two minutes from Birmingham’s finest had pints being thrown and hugs being given out all over the place.
Tobi, a local at Clissold Park Tavern, said: “Jude Bellingham is world class.
“It was Jude versus everyone.”
Mexico responded with a goal before half time from Julian Quiñones to put nerves back into English fans and inspire the home nation.
Halftime cries of The Beatles’ Hey Jude were silenced when Jarell Quansah was given a red card in the 51st minute.
Striker Kane buried his 60th-minute penalty to buy some room to breathe between the two teams, but that did not last long.
Tackles continued to fly as the match intensified and it went from bad to worse for England, as VAR awarded Mexico a penalty in the 67th minute.
Raúl Jiménez converted his spot kick into the bottom left corner and suddenly the game was more open than ever.
Yellow cards were handed out left right and centre in the second half.
Marc Guéhi and Nico O’Reilly, were cautioned as well as Jordan Henderson, who was on the bench, and Johan Vásquez being booked in the 98th minute.
Yet a defensive masterclass from England saw them hold on to their 3-2 lead after 11 minutes of added time and progress through to the quarter-final.
The final whistle could not have been more welcomed by those watching.
England supporter Babs said: “Imagine missing this – can you imagine being at home?
“That was worth staying up for.
“This England team have put out very entertaining games.”
There were uphoric scenes as the pubs emptied out, with smiling faces on Lime bikes and honking horns making their way home, or to work, as the sun began to rise.
Feature image: Ifiok Awak-Essien
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