Mexico vs England - prediction, team news, lineups | World Cup 2026

England ascent their mentation of Mount Everest successful the aboriginal hours of Monday greeting UK time, erstwhile the Three Lions look Mexico 2,200 metres supra oversea level astatine the Estadio Azteca successful their World Cup 2026 last-16 showdown.

Thomas Tuchel's charges survived a monumental scare to flooded DR Congo 2-1 successful their archetypal knockout clash, portion the co-hosts' impeccable tally continued with a 2-0 beating of a below-par Ecuador.

Match preview

Pubs successful England volition beryllium keeping fans hydrated into the aboriginal hours of Monday morning, and Three Lions supporters successful North America present ought to beryllium hailing the enforced hydration breaks astatine the World Cup, aft Wednesday's Powerade-fuelled fightback against a spirited Congolese side.

The effervescent Brian Cipenga capitalised connected shoddy England defending to propel the Leopards into a daze lead, which Congo maintained heading into the last 15 minutes acknowledgment to inspired goalkeeping from Lionel Mpasi, but who other but Harry Kane would registry a devastating treble to nonstop the Three Lions through.

As five-goal Kane softly stakes his assertion for different Golden Boot, England revelled successful their archetypal World Cup triumph aft conceding the opening extremity since that fateful time successful 1966, though the inquest into different underwhelming show soon took centre stage.

It took until the 30th infinitesimal for England to person a changeable connected people against DR Congo - their longest hold successful a World Cup lucifer to day - and Wednesday's triumph fell nether the 'job done' class alternatively than 1 that genuinely enhanced their favourites presumption successful our World Cup betting strategy.

Now anticipated to look their toughest situation successful North America yet, England instrumentality to the high-altitude Azteca for the archetypal clip since that infamous nonaccomplishment to Argentina successful the 1986 World Cup quarter-final, and small much needs to beryllium said astir Mexico's magnificent showings connected Diego Maradona's playground.

Beating four-time winners Germany is 1 thing, getting the amended of Mexico successful Mexico City was a antithetic shot crippled wholly for Ecuador, who became El Tri's latest Azteca victims successful Tuesday's straightforward 2-0 occurrence for the co-hosts.

Julian Quinones - the antheral who started the scoring astatine the World Cup arsenic a full - appropriately struck Mexico's maiden extremity of the knockout rounds, earlier teeing up Raul Jimenez to put Javier Aguirre's men retired of sight.

Exorcising demons that had haunted them for 4 decades, Mexico's merited triumph snapped an eight-game losing tally successful World Cup knockout matches - the longest specified streak ever - arsenic they won a post-group-stage necktie for the archetypal clip since the aforementioned 1986 edition.

The statistic marque for the astir pleasant speechmaking imaginable for the El Tri faithful; 4 wins from four, zero goals conceded, six wins successful a enactment successful each tournaments, and a 12-match unbeaten tally each told since a 2-1 affable nonaccomplishment to Paraguay successful precocious November.

The Azteca origin remains intolerable to disregard too, arsenic Mexico person ne'er mislaid a World Cup crippled astatine this venue - earning 8 wins and 2 draws from 10 games - and their undefeated streak crossed competitory and non-competitive matches astatine the crushed stands astatine 26, since a 2013 reverse to Honduras.

However, each of the past 4 head-to-heads betwixt Mexico and England has been won by the Three Lions, though not since 2010 - erstwhile Glen Johnson, Ledley King and Peter Crouch were connected people - person the 2 quarter-final hopefuls crossed paths.

Mexico World Cup form:

Mexico signifier (all competitions):

England World Cup form:

England signifier (all competitions):

Team News

England person suffered their just stock of wounded scares astatine the World Cup truthful far, and the latest saw Declan Rice forced disconnected towards the extremity against DR Congo, though the Arsenal antheral was seemingly lone suffering from cramp and exhaustion.

Rice ended up filling successful arsenic an auxiliary right-back successful the past 32 amid injuries to Jarell Quansah (ankle) and Reece James (hamstring), the second of whom precocious offered a reassuring update but is not expected to marque a accelerated betterment successful clip for the past 16.

Once again, Tuchel's biggest enactment dilemmas prevarication retired wide, wherever Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon successful peculiar - the archetypal England subordinate to registry aggregate World Cup extremity involvements arsenic a substitute - person staked their claims for starts.

In contrast, Mexico came retired of their last-32 triumph implicit Ecuador with nary fittingness concerns whatsoever, aft 17-year-old playmaker Gilberto Mora came done a historical archetypal World Cup commencement unscathed.

The Tijuana wonderkid became the second-youngest subordinate to marque the archetypal XI for a World Cup knockout lucifer - conscionable 20 days older than Pele successful 1958 - and Aguirre indispensable measurement up whether to persist with Mora oregon thin connected the much experienced Brian Gutierrez.

An unforeseen prima of the Mundial, Quinones has been progressive successful 4 Mexico goals truthful far; 1 much extremity oregon assistance would acceptable a caller nationalist squad grounds astatine a azygous World Cup.

Mexico imaginable starting lineup:

Rangel; Sanchez, Montes, Vasquez, Gallardo; Romo, Lira, Mora; Alvarado, Jimenez, Quinones

England imaginable starting lineup:

Pickford; Spence, Konsa, Guehi, O'Reilly; Rice, Anderson; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane

We say: Mexico 1-1 England (a.e.t, England triumph connected penalties)

Monday's effect hinges connected whether we spot pre-hydration interruption England oregon post-hydration interruption England for the bulk of the match, which Tuchel has confessed his players volition beryllium astatine a "huge disadvantage" for owed to the 7,220-foot elevation.

But the subs tin marque the quality again - adjacent if each they request to bash is supply renewed energy, get done the 120 minutes and marque their people from the punishment spot to gain a day with Brazil oregon Norway.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.