England U17s hold on to beat Mexico in topsy-turvy World Cup clash

An irresistible England opened the scoring when Rhian Brewster curled in a gem of a free-kick on 39 minutes.

And the classy Three Lions stretched to a three-goal lead with goals from Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho after the break.

But the match turned on its head late on, with a brace from Diego Lainez-Leyva setting up a nervy finish.

The result confirms England’s progress from the group stage, but the second half collapse will give them plenty to think about after such a strong start to the tournament.

The England U17s were beaten in the final of the European Championships in the summer and look well-placed to go one better in India.

Sancho may have been the star of England's opening game, but the Borussia Dortmund winger was overshadowed against Mexico by Phil Foden, who produced a creative masterclass against a well organised Mexico defence.

Brewster made amends for a bad miss early on with his superb free-kick opener, while centre-back Joel Latibeaudiere also impressed.

The only downside for England was a tough afternoon for right-back Timothy Eyoma, who struggled to cope with Mexico's exceptionally strong left-sided attack.

England's third and final group game is against Iraq on Saturday 14 October.