Who produced another iconic performance? England player ratings

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Who produced another iconic performance? England player ratingsPublished6 July 2026, 02:50 BSTUpdated 5 minutes agoEngland beat Mexico 3-2 in a thriller at the Azteca to reach the World Cup quarter-finals, but who caught the eye? Sport England reporter Alex Howell assesses how the players performed - and have your say at the bottom of the page too.

Starting XIJordan Pickford: A great save low down from a diving header from Raul Jimenez early on. An important moment as England would have been behind early in the atmospheric Azteca. Was called upon just before half-time to produce an acrobatic save to deny Jimenez again when Mexico were pushing for a leveller at 2-1.

The Details

7Jarell Quansah: An unfortunate end for Quansah, who was sent off after a video assistant review (VAR) for a high challenge. The right-back had been putting in a good performance before his night was ended early. 5Ezri Konsa: A testing evening for Konsa and the whole England backline with all the drama in the game.

It was Konsa's attempted clearance from a free-kick which fell to Julian Quinones for him to score as he gave Mexico a route back into the match - but the Aston Villa defender provided crucial clearances as England ground out a win. 7Marc Guehi: Took the ball in tight areas and under pressure as England looked to kill Mexico's momentum in the first half. Guehi stood up to the test as Mexico threw everything at England.

7Nico O'Reilly: This was the left-back's best performance of the World Cup. Flashed a dangerous cross across the box and slammed a volley against the post. Taken off after picking up a yellow and as England went to a back five.

What Experts Say

7Declan Rice: Rice's powerful running is a major weapon for England and it was his burst from his own half to the edge of the Mexico box that led to England taking the lead. He showed an incredible amount of discipline having picked up a yellow card after one minute. 7Elliot Anderson: A quieter game from Anderson but did not take away from the importance of what he does for England.

The midfielder was taken off as Thomas Tuchel changed England's shape looking to protect the lead. 6Bukayo Saka: When England were defending deep in the first half Saka was filling in as a right wing-back to block the space around Quinones. A lot of ground to cover but still his usual threat going forward.

His ability to take his man on before providing a quality cross was the reason England took the lead. 7Jude Bellingham: Another match-winning performance for England. The Real Madrid midfielder continues to deliver moments which make it seem like anything is possible for the Three Lions.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.