England winger Anthony Gordon has played down a viral moment during England's World Cup last-16 tie against Mexico, in which Mexico manager Javier Aguirre shouted an explicit remark at him. Gordon, who joined Barcelona from Newcastle United this summer, described the exchange as "just a bit of fun" and even a "compliment", saying he took the remark in good spirit given the heat and tension of the match at the Azteca Stadium.

The incident occurred during a first-half hydration break, with Aguirre speaking to Jude Bellingham before calling out to Gordon near the touchline, both men laughing afterwards. It was one of several moments from the game widely shared on social media, alongside Harry Kane losing his voice and John Stones feigning injury. England won the thriller 3-2 — Bellingham scored twice and Kane added a penalty, while Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez replied for Mexico and Jarell Quansah was sent off. England now face Norway in the quarter-final on Saturday, 11 July (22:00 BST), while the 67-year-old Aguirre has since left his post and been replaced by Rafael Marquez.