Mexico vs. England: Three Lions facing "daunting" task at glorious Estadio Azteca

Ahead of England's clash with Mexico successful the last-16 signifier of the 2026 World Cup, Sports Mole's Senior Reporter Oliver Thomas discusses the Three Lions' chances.

Oliver Thomas, Senior Reporter: "All astir the effect successful knockout football"

England were connected the ropes against DR Congo until Harry Kane came to the rescue. It wasn't a large performance overall but they inactive recovered a mode to win. 

As England fans, we don't really attraction too much how England win. As overmuch arsenic a beardown affirmative show is desirable, it's all astir the effect successful knockout football. 

For a federation feeling 60 years of hurt, if you inquire each England instrumentality whether they'd execute similar they did against DR Congo but triumph each remaining crippled astatine this World Cup including the final, they would take that and drawback your manus off. 

England conscionable privation to win, and winning against Mexico is not truthful straightforward. They probably need a spot much than Kane heroics to get implicit the enactment successful this one. 

A batch has been made astir Mexico's awesome grounds astatine the Estadio Azteca. It's a stadium steeped successful past and has go a existent fortress for Mexico. 

It's implicit 7,000 feet supra oversea level, which is rather unsocial successful the modern epoch for that alone. Physically and psychologically, players fatigue quicker erstwhile playing astatine that altitude. 

Mexico are utilized to it and person that advantage. Interestingly, the highest stadium altitude successful English shot is West Brom's Hawthorns astatine conscionable 551 feet, which is 14 times person to oversea level than the Azteca. 

When you adhd the ambiance from adjacent to 90,000 Mexico fans, it's daunting for opposing teams. Mexico's location grounds wide is 89 games, 70 wins, 17 draws, and conscionable 2 defeats. 

That's singular for immoderate state connected location soil. In the World Cup, it's 7 wins and 3 draws successful 10 games, truthful they're unbeaten astatine the Azteca successful World Cup football. 

England volition caput into this bidding to extremity Mexico's unbeaten run. The past clip anyone bushed Mexico astatine the Azteca was September 2013, Honduras. 

Since then, they've really played 26 games unbeaten. England are astir apt going to beryllium 1 of the strongest opponents connected insubstantial that they volition really face. 

If you look astatine immoderate of those opponents, astir apt Portugal are the lone federation that tin truly beryllium compared to England successful presumption of prime and strength. 

Mexico person played Panama 4 times, positive the likes of Canada, USA, New Zealand, Honduras and Scotland. 

The constituent is that Mexico person this beardown location record, but they've ne'er genuinely faced an elite federation erstwhile it matters astir successful the knockouts of a large tourney during that period. 

While Mexico volition person each close to consciousness truly assured successful this game, England correspond their toughest trial yet. Mexico volition beryllium fancying it, though. 

They've won each azygous crippled astatine this World Cup truthful acold without conceding a azygous goal, and they've got that monkey disconnected their backmost by yet winning a World Cup knockout crippled for the archetypal clip since '86 erstwhile they past hosted the tournament.