Prince William and Trump react to England’s dramatic World Cup win over Mexico

England’s Three Lions secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over Mexico in their World Cup last-16 clash, sparking nationwide celebrations and immediate congratulations from the Prince of Wales.

>Prince William urged the team on to the quarter-finals, joining millions across the country in celebrating the triumph in Mexico City.

>Supporters packed out hundreds of bars and pubs for the late-night encounter, with the Government having extended opening hours until 5am on Monday. Beers flew into the air at the final whistle, which came after a tense 11 minutes of added time.

>The drama began even before kick-off, as forecasted thunderstorms struck around the Azteca stadium on Sunday evening UK time, delaying the match by an hour to 2am over fears of lightning strikes.

>The game itself proved equally electrifying, with England playing much of the second half with 10 men after defender Jarell Quansah was sent off for a high tackle following a VAR review. Both sides were also awarded penalties during the fiercely contested match.

>The Prince of Wales took to social media to express his delight, writing: "Well done England! Bring on the quarter final!"

Well done England! Bring on the quarter final! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

W https://t.co/jCd8TaE6O6

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) July 6, 2026MPs across the country also stayed up late to witness the victory. Labour MP Stella Creasy quipped on X: "I have no idea how I do the school run this morning after a red card and a penalty… Like having had ten espressos and a red bull chaser…"

>Reform MP Robert Jenrick added: "So proud of this England team. Heroes, each and every one of them."

>The intensity of the occasion even seemed to affect England captain Harry Kane, whose crucial second-half penalty secured the win, as he struggled to speak during his post-match interview. His performance also caught the attention of Donald Trump, who posted on Truth Social: “Harry Kane of England is a GREAT player!!!"

>Ecstatic England fans spontaneously erupted into renditions of “Sweet Caroline” at Boxpark Wembley in north-west London, with people jumping into the air amidst blasts of white fog from Co2 cannons. Similar scenes unfolded at fan parks in Leeds, Manchester, and Newcastle, where confetti rained down as shirtless fans embraced.

England fans celebrate victory during a screening of the Fifa World Cup match between England and Mexico at Freight Island in Manchester (Cody Froggatt/PA)At Wembley, Ollie, 29, who did not wish to disclose his surname, joked he would be "very ill" in a few hours when he needed to go to work. "Luckily my manager is also ill," he said. "The win was a long time coming."

>Co-hosts Mexico had a formidable record at the Estadio Azteca, having lost only two of their previous 89 competitive games at the venue, which lies more than 2,200 metres above sea level.

>Outside the ground after the match, England fan Stuart Pearce, 62, described it as "one of the best games ever". He added: "When the Mexicans came out the whole thing vibrated – it was a great atmosphere, all the Mexicans were really friendly. We’ve not had one bit of trouble – the Mexicans are so friendly that one even bought us a train ticket today."

>His son Liam, 29, from Wiltshire, found the stadium "unbelievable." He said: "We sat amongst the Mexicans which was a bit terrifying to start with, but as soon as that first goal went in it was fine. The performances aren’t great but the best teams never play well throughout the tournament, so we’ll see."

>Sam Holroyd, 21, from Leeds, admitted his nerves were "bad, really bad". He told the Press Association: "I’ve watched Leeds and I’ve not had it worse than that. The altitude got to me when they scored the penalty." His friend Owen Wilson, 23, from Doncaster, added: "It’s cost us a lot of money to come out here but worth every penny. I think we’ll win it, I do. I think we’ll win the tournament."

England’s Jude Bellingham (left), Anthony Gordon and Morgan Rogers (right) celebrate (Nick Potts/PA)Ersan Beskardes, 30, from Bournemouth, was struggling with his voice after the match. He said: "For the full 90 minutes we were there, shouting and screaming, giving it large, but we pulled through in the end. For the last 10 minutes, I’m not going to lie… my heart rate was up there. But we got there in the end. Ninety-five per cent of the time they’ve (the Mexican fans) been unreal, the little five per cent, there were a lot of pints thrown down at us. But it was all good in the end."

>England will now face Norway on Saturday in the quarter-final after the Scandinavian side defeated Brazil 2-1. Matt Simmons, 30, from Portsmouth, was already looking beyond that: "We pulled a blinder, didn’t we? Absolutely smashed it tonight. Sensational. We’re going to bring it home – on the flight home, we’re going to get a nice couple of bottles of Champagne."

>The weather delay followed days of speculation around the potential impact of storms, with Fifa having previously decided against moving the game forward by six hours to avoid disruption.