World Cup 2026 Sunday takeaways: Erling Haaland shines; Jude Bellingham joins elite company

Let's keep banging the drum for Haaland, who's scoring goals at a historic rate. The 25-year-old has already become Norway's all-time leading goalscorer (62 in 54 matches), via StatMuse. Twenty-seven of these scores have been in his past 14 national team matches.

Haaland has scored seven goals in the World Cup, tied with Argentina forward Lionel Messi and French forward Kylian Mbappe for the most in the tournament. But he's been much more efficient than the global superstars. He has had 17 attempts on goal, while Messi has had 24 and Mbappe has had 26. 

Haaland's game may not be as flashy as that of Mbappe, Messi or other stars; that doesn't make it any less effective. And as one of the most impactful players at the World Cup, he deserves as much praise as those international standouts. 

England midfielder Jude Bellingham steps up and joins elite company 

Forward Harry Kane saved England with a clutch brace in a 2-1 victory over the Congo DR in the Round of 32. On Sunday against Mexico, it was Bellingham's turn to play hero. 

He earned a brace in the first half of a match, giving the Three Lions a 2-0 lead. Just 98 seconds elapsed between the two goals in the 36th and 38th minutes. 

The early lead helped England secure a 3-2 victory and stave off a Mexico comeback. Mexico forward Raul Jimenez scored in the 69th minute on a penalty kick, but the side couldn't build consistent momentum after cutting the lead. 

Bellingham is now the toast of England and in rare company. Per OptaJoe, he's the first player to score two World Cup goals at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City since Argentinian legend Diego Maradona did so in the 1986 semifinal. Maradona, of course, led his country to a title that year. England — which hasn't won the World Cup since 1966 — hopes that's a good omen.

Mexico's biggest weaknesses came back to haunt it against England

Mexico deserves plenty of credit for one of its most exciting runs in decades. It won a knockout-stage game for the first time since 1986, beating Ecuador 2-0 in the Round of 32. Still, it hasn't advanced past the Round of 16 since then. (Note: the World Cup expanded from 32 to 48 teams in 2026.) 

To keep gaining traction, Mexico must address two of its biggest weaknesses before the 2030 World Cup: its offensive flow and creativity. 

This was evident after England was down to 10 players. Defender Jarell Quansah was red-carded in the 54th minute for a dangerous tackle on defender Jesus Gallardo. Although the Three Lions were short-handed, they allowed just one goal after that. 

Mexico also possessed the ball for 67 percent of Sunday's match, but it managed to create no big chances (clear-cut scoring opportunities). England, meanwhile, generated two.