Mexico vs England: FIFA World Cup last 16 – Kane, prediction and altitude

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkCan Harry Kane once again be England's hero? [Paul Childs/Reuters]By Manasi PathakPublished On 5 Jul 20265 Jul 2026Four wins to go. How can your team reach the final and win the 2026 World Cup? Click here to find out.Who: Mexico vs England What: FIFA World Cup 2026 – Round of 16 Where: Azteca Stadium, Mexico City, Mexico When: Sunday, July 5, at 6pm (00:00 GMT on Monday) How to follow: We will have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 21:00 GMT before our live text commentary stream.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Ticket prices plunge for USA-Belgium World Cup last-16 matchlist 2 of 4Brazil look to overcome Norway hoodoo in World Cup last 16 clashlist 3 of 4Mbappe draws level with Messi as France beat Paraguay to set up Morocco tielist 4 of 4Ounahi fires Morocco into World Cup quarterfinals with 3-0 win over Canadaend of listIt took two goals on a stormy night in Mexico City to break a 40-year curse of a World Cup knockout win for Mexico. Shortly thereafter, more than a million Mexicans thronged to the streets in celebration, and the excitement level went up a notch further when it was announced that England would be their next opponent at the 2026 World Cup.A blockbuster round of 16 clash awaits the teams at the iconic Azteca Stadium, the fortress-like home of tournament cohosts Mexico, and the same venue that left England fans in agony in 1986 when Diego Maradona’s famous ‘Hand of God’ goal eliminated The Three Lions from the tournament in a contentious quarterfinal defeat to Argentina.Come Sunday, as the two sides collide, so will years of history.Al Jazeera tells you everything about Mexico vs England:How did Mexico and England reach the round of 16?Mexico topped Group A with nine points, maintaining a perfect record as they defeated South Africa, South Korea and Czechia. Then, El Tri won a World Cup knockout game for the first time since 1986, beating Ecuador 2-0 in the last-32.England topped Group L with seven points, winning against Croatia and Panama, and being held to a goalless draw by Ghana. They staged a late 2-1 comeback victory against the Democratic Republic of Congo to squeeze into the last-16.England were about 15 minutes away from World Cup elimination until Harry Kane stepped up, scoring twice to rescue them from the jaws of defeat against DR Congo in the round of 32 [Bernadett Szabo/Reuters]‘Proper World Cup match’: Altitude and Azteca in focusThe challenge of playing in high altitude, risk of adverse weather and scheduling issues – the build-up to Mexico vs England has been eventful, to say the least.Much of the focus has been on how the pitch at the Azteca – sitting 2,240 metres (7,350 feet) above sea level – could take English players’ breath away, quite literally.The ball could travel faster and farther, the players could feel moments of breathlessness, and there is also the little matter of a raucous Mexican crowd, which knows a thing or two about creating an adversarial atmosphere.Despite the home team advantages, England are relishing the chance to play at the Azteca, the venue of the 1970 and 1986 World Cup finals. Forty years later, the venue remains ever present in the minds of several generations of England football fans due to Maradona’s brilliant – albeit highly controversial – performance against The Three Lions in Mexico City.Diego Maradona of Argentina handles the ball past Peter Shilton of England to score the opening goal – often referred to as the ‘Hand of God’ goal – in the World Cup quarterfinal at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, Mexico on 22 June 1986. Argentina won the quarterfinal 2-1 [Bongarts/Getty Images]“I felt straight away that this will be a proper World Cup match for tomorrow,” England manager Thomas Tuchel said in Saturday’s pre-match news conference.“We knew it before. We are in an iconic place, an iconic stadium. It just catches you straight away once you get in here and see the excitement and see the emotions.”England entered the World Cup with dreams of ending the country’s 60-year wait for a major title. But after four games, it’s safe to say the English have failed to live up to their Number 4 FIFA world ranking, struggling through the group phase before needing a late miracle in their elimination tie against DR Congo.For all the buzz around the factors away from the pitch, what could ultimately decide the teams’ fate would be the action on the field – a contest of “11 vs 11”. That’s what Mexico coach Javier Aguirre believes.“They [England] have major players who play both inside and outside the country,” said Aguirre, whose side is aiming for its first quarterfinal appearance in 40 years.“They’re pretty powerful, physically speaking, and they’re great players.”England manager Thomas Tuchel during a news conference on Saturday [Henry Romero/Reuters]Mexico vs England predictionThe Opta supercomputer gives England a 40.6 percent likelihood of winning in regulation time, while Mexico is at 31.5 percent.The model estimates a 27.9 percent probability of the game going to extra time and potentially penalties.What time is Mexico vs England? Mexico: TUDN, Canal 9, Canal 5, Las Estrellas, TV AZTECA, Vix (6pm, Central Standard Time) United Kingdom: BBC One, BBC iPlayer (1am on Monday, British Summer Time) USA: FOX, FOX One, Telemundo App, Telemundo Network, Peacock (7pm, Eastern Daylight Time) To check the TV listings for your country, head to FIFA’s TV listing schedule here.Mexico fans celebrate their team’s accomplishment of breaking a 40-year curse with a World Cup knockout win [Luis Cortes/Reuters]Who will the winner face in the quarterfinals?The winner of the Mexico vs England match will face either Brazil or Norway in the quarterfinals in Miami on Saturday, July 11.Mexico vs England: Head-to-headThis last-16 clash marks only the second time England and Mexico have met in a World Cup contest.Their first meeting dates back to the 1966 World Cup, when England beat Mexico 2-0 in a group game en route to their only world title to date.England have won four straight games against Mexico – all of which were friendlies – between 1986 and 2010.Azteca Stadium, the venue of the 1970 and 1986 World Cup finals, will host Mexico vs England in Sunday’s last-16 blockbuster tie [File: Luis Cortes/Reuters]Mexico vs England: Team newsEngland defenders Jarrell Quansah (ankle) and Reece James (hamstring) are out with injuries. No injury concerns reported in the Mexico camp.Mexico’s predicted lineup(4-3-3): Rangel (goalkeeper); Sanchez, Montes, Vasquez, Gallardo; Mora, Lira, Romo; Alvardo, Jimenez, QuinonesEngland’s predicted lineup(4-2-3-1): Pickford (goalkeeper); Spence, Konsa, Guehi, O’Reilly; Anderson, Rice; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon; KaneMexico forward Julian Quinones is their leading scorer at the 2026 World Cup with three goals [Yuri Cortez/AFP]