England raced into a two-goal lead before halftime, with Jude Bellingham scoring twice in quick succession. Mexico reduced the deficit through Julián Quiñones before the break, keeping the contest alive.
The Three Lions faced a major setback early in the second half when Jarell Quansah was sent off following a VAR review. Despite being down to 10 men, England restored their two-goal advantage after Harry Kane converted a penalty.
Mexico refused to give up and pulled another goal back when Raúl Jiménez scored from the spot after another VAR review awarded a penalty. England, however, defended resolutely in the closing stages to secure a hard-fought victory.
The win sends England into a quarter-final clash with Norway, who shocked Brazil 2-1.
Norway goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland made a crucial first-half penalty save before Erling Haaland scored twice in the closing minutes to complete a remarkable comeback and send the Scandinavian nation into the last eight.
The result ended Brazil's hopes of lifting a sixth World Cup title and continued the team's difficult run against European opponents in the tournament's knockout stages.
Away from the pitch, FIFA's decision to allow United States forward Folarin Balogun to play against Belgium despite an earlier one-match suspension sparked widespread debate.
Balogun had been due to miss the round-of-16 encounter after receiving a straight red card in the previous round. However, FIFA later suspended the ban, making him available for selection.
The decision drew criticism from Belgian football officials, who questioned the ruling and said they were considering their options.
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