Chris Waddle has heaped praise on Thomas Tuchel and his England team after they produced arguably ‘the best performance of the tournament’ to silence the iconic Azteca Stadium at World Cup 2026.
The Three Lions became the first international team to beat Mexico in their fabled stadium for 13 years, securing a dramatic 3-2 win with 10 men to set up a quarter-final with Norway.
Former England winger Waddle featured in the last game England played at the Azteca Stadium – the infamous 2-1 defeat to Argentina at the 1986 World Cup that featured Diego Maradona scoring twice.
And in an exclusive interview with 10bet, Waddle gave his views on the Monday June 6 win, saying: “From Jordan Pickford to the subs who came on – John Stones, Dan Burn – they were all focused.
“You could see they were so determined.”
Very professional
“Mexico had a lot of possession, and we knew they were going to use every advantage they could with the crowd, their stadium, and falling around trying to get people booked or sent off.
“But I thought England were very professional.
“For the red card, it was a bad tackle and he [Jarell Quansah] had to go for that, I’m not going to defend it.
“But it just showed the mentality of this squad: 10 men in a hostile environment, yet they stood their ground. That’s the best performance we’ve had in the tournament.”
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Outstanding game plan
Waddle was impressed by England’s energy levels and also praised goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, adding: “I thought for the first 35 to 40 minutes, the game plan was outstanding.
“I thought the energy levels – considering the altitude, the storms, the crowd being up against them, and all the obstacles in the way – were fantastic.
“And then obviously the two goals came very quickly, which really knocked the wind out of their sails.
“They relaxed a little bit, which you can’t do in a stadium with an atmosphere like that, and Mexico got back into it.
“But in the second half, I thought they were very professional.
“They managed the game well, slowed it down when they had to, weathered the storms, and defended the box well.”
Professional performance
“Jordan Pickford had a very good game. It was a very professional performance in a very hostile environment, and you can see why teams struggle to win in that stadium.
“You’ve got to give a pat on the back to England.”
Jude Bellingham and captain Harry Kane have been England’s star players in the tournament so far, with the Real Madrid star bagging a brace against Mexico in a dazzling display.
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Bellingham’s best
When asked who Waddle thought was England’s player of the match, he said: “I think Jude Bellingham. That’s the best I’ve seen him in an England shirt.
“He carried the ball well. I know people look at goals, but I don’t really analyse that; I look at a player’s general play.
“You can get a goalscorer and think, “What a top goalscorer,” but it doesn’t necessarily mean he’s a top all-around player, even if he does his job.
“Jude Bellingham’s work rate was a 10. He covered the ground well, was good on the ball, and mentally he was really clued in and up for the game.
“You can certainly see that playing for a big club like Real Madrid every week, where expectations are very high, has helped him. He went out there and led by example.”
Michael Davey