Prince William among first to hail England after dramatic Mexico win

Prince William was among the first to congratulate England after their dramatic 3-2 win over Mexico sent the Three Lions into the World Cup quarter-finals. The Prince of Wales took to social media within moments of the final whistle at the Azteca to praise Thomas Tuchel’s side.

England’s victory marked the first time the national team have beaten Mexico at their own national stadium, with Jude Bellingham scoring twice in a chaotic and thrilling round-of-16 tie. William, an Aston Villa supporter and President of the Football Association, posted a seven-word message shortly after the match ended at 4am UK time: “Well done England! Bring on the quarter final!”

Millions of fans stayed up for the drama

England supporters up and down the country joined the celebrations into the early hours, with pubs and bars packed out after the Government extended opening hours to 5am on Monday to accommodate the late kick-off. The match itself had already been delayed by an hour, pushed back to 2am, after forecast thunderstorms brought lightning risk around the Azteca on Sunday evening.

The action on the pitch matched the drama in the build-up. England were reduced to ten men in the second half after Jarell Quansah was sent off for a high tackle following a VAR review, while both sides were awarded penalties during a frantic finish.

Tuchel admitted his emotions were mixed after the final whistle, not least because of an injury sustained by Jordan Henderson during the celebrations. “My emotions are very mixed. I’m just proud of the mentality and the attitude,” the England boss said. “Round of 32, round of 16 is the moment in tournaments where you find a way to win. We did it with pure mentality, with heart. We overcame every obstacle that was thrown at us.”

“I am so proud of the mentality and the will of this team. It is a very, very special night for us. Mixed feelings also because I am exhausted, of course, and emotional but also sad because Jordan got injured. He injured his wrist. He is at the moment at the hospital, so it is quite a serious injury.”

Read more: Henderson stretchered off after freak wrist injury in England celebrations

William says only the trophy will do

Ahead of the tournament, William had appeared on the New Heights podcast, hosted by NFL stars Travis and Jason Kelce, to discuss England’s prospects. Asked what would constitute a successful World Cup for England, the Prince of Wales gave a simple answer: “I think winning it.”

When asked whether he would travel to the United States should England reach the final, William replied without hesitation: “Definitely. If we’re in the final.”

Norway awaits in Miami

England will now face Norway in the quarter-finals in Miami on Saturday, with kick-off at 10pm UK time. Norway reached the last eight after Erling Haaland scored twice as they knocked out five-time champions Brazil, who could only find one goal in extra time.