Mexico vs England: Kane's Late Heroics Set Up an Altitude Test at the Azteca

The Fixture Everyone Has Been Talking About For a Different Reason

This should be a World Cup RO16 contest between two well-organised, attack-minded sides. Instead, most of the build-up has centred on where it is being played.

Estadio Azteca sits 2,240 metres above sea level, more than seven times higher than the Atlanta stadium where England beat DR Congo on Wednesday.

There was also late confusion over when the match would even kick off. Concerns about a Sunday evening thunderstorm led Mexican authorities to push for a change to a midday start, but after talks between the two federations and tournament organisers on Friday, the original 6:00 PM local kickoff was confirmed to stand.

“We have only three days in between . This is physically just not possible to adapt to the altitude, which is quite high” - Thomas Tuchel, England head coach

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England: Survivors Looking for a Complete Performance

Tuchel's side needed a Harry Kane intervention to get out of the Round of 32. DR Congo pushed England close before Kane's late goal sealed a 2-1 win and a place in the last 16. It was not the free-flowing performance England fans were hoping for, but it got the job done.

Marcus Rashford has been vocal about not letting the occasion overwhelm the squad, dismissing suggestions that the altitude and atmosphere will decide the outcome.

"It's a game of football. We've all been playing football since we were kids and we've played in different environments, different atmospheres. It's up to us to try and find a way to come out on top, and that's what the focus is. We have to work together and try to bring as close to our best as we can, and we'll be fine." (Marcus Rashford)

History Looms Large at This Venue

England have not played at the Azteca since 1986, when Diego Maradona's Hand of God goal sent them out of the World Cup at the quarter-final stage.

Elsewhere, goalkeeper Jordan Pickford could equal Peter Shilton's record of 17 England World Cup appearances if selected tonight. A milestone that adds another layer of history to an already loaded occasion.

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Mexico: Perfect at Home and Building Real Momentum

Javier Aguirre's side has won all four of their matches at this World Cup, already their best tally in a single tournament. And more striking is their record inside Estadio Azteca specifically:

• Mexico have never lost a World Cup match there, winning eight and drawing two across ten previous appearances (with six straight wins in the stadium heading into tonight).
• Julian Quinones has been the standout performer, directly involved in four goals so far, three scored and one assisted, matching the joint-best tournament record by a Mexican player since 1966.
• He sits one goal shy of Luis Hernandez's national record of four in a single edition, set in 1998. 

Alongside him, Luis Romo and Erik Lira have controlled midfield tempo, while Raul Jimenez continues to lead the line with the experience of a player who has been through multiple tournament cycles.

Mexico have not conceded in any of their four matches so far. A clean sheet tonight would make them just the second team in World Cup history to keep five straight shutouts to open a single edition, after Italy in 1990.

Curious how this game ends? Check out our Mexico vs England match prediction.

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