England are preparing for their crucial World Cup 2026 meeting with Mexico and have been given extra security while in Mexico City following disruptive fan behaviour earlier in the tournament.
Thomas Tuchel’s side were met by member’s of the Mexican National Guard at their hotel after fans had disrupted the Ecuadoran squad with loudspeakers, horns and motorbikes earlier in the campaign. But Tuchel admitted England had faced ‘no issues’ and their arrival in Mexico has been ‘respectful and emotional’.
The Three Lions have also had to deal with the fallout over the uncertainty surrounding the kick-off time for this last-16 tie. Fifa were considering moving the match forward by six hours due to potential stormy weather but backtracked on those plans.
The Mexico clash will provide a unique challenge with altitude and an anticipated hostile reception providing added factors for the England squad as they prepare for the Estadio Azteca – scene of Diego Maradona’s contrasting double in 1986. Declan Rice has been declared fully fit in a significant injury boost, though Tuchel mus solve the problem of right-back.
Follow all the build-up to Sunday’s exciting tie with co-hosts Mexico:
Quansah starting at right-back ‘not ideal’ for England, claims Neville
Jarell Quansah is poised to start or England at right-back, according to widespread reports.
“That means he didn’t want to bring Stones at centre-back,” Gary Neville tells ITV Sport.
“It’s a big game for him, he’s got to do the job, it’s not ideal.”
Three hours until kick-off!
We are less than three hours until kick-off at the Azteca, which will of course be in the wee hours of the morning for us folk back in the UK.
I think it’s time for some score predictions…
WATCH: England fan predictions ahead of World Cup last-16 clash with Mexico
Gary Neville blasts Fifa for England vs Mexico kick-off confusion
“I would find it disruptive as a player,” Neville told ITV Sport. “Conditions are huge for England, playing at 12pm in Mexico vs playing at 6pm, it’s very different, for our players, it’s worse, let’s be clear.
“It’s a sporting disadvantage to England, there’s a sporting integrity issue here. I’ve never seen a League Two game moved back, Fifa are just willy nilly making it up and moving a game, it feels strange.
“You can put fan safety at the heart of it, this is a stadium that has had this type of conditions before, they have a procedure to deal with it.
“I was there when my brother was managing Inter Miami. It can be disrupted for an hour, they go underneath, they get shelter. To move a game two days out, I’ve never seen that at any level of football ever.”
‘It catches you off guard’: The true impact of Azteca altitude for England against Mexico
England have overcome several World Cup obstacles already this summer – yet Thomas Tuchel is fully aware of the seismic challenge that awaits at the cauldron that is the Azteca Stadium in the last-16.
The co-hosts have been whipped up into a piping-hot frenzy over the last three weeks, unleashed most impressively in their last-32 victory against Ecuador. Following a weather delay, the rampant Julian Quinonez and Raul Jimenez landed a pair of haymakers to leave their South American opponents dazed.
Yet England’s most daunting task on Sunday night could well be the conditions, with altitude set to be a great leveller with Mexico City’s iconic Azteca situated 7,220ft (2,240m) above sea level.
Could Tuchel opt for a formation change?
England’s injury concerns at right-back looked like they were lightening with Jarell Quansah back fit and Reece James creeping towards the matchday squad – now, they’re mounting once again.
Djed Spence is a doubt due to a muscle niggle and the strain at right-back could potentially see change formation – maybe a three at the back?
Top police chief warns fans to ‘be sensible’ in Mexico as they will be ‘massively outnumbered’ in England clash
More than 100 riot police in bullet-proof vests are guarding the hotel where the England team are staying after they received a hostile reception upon their arrival with crowds booing and jeering.
Comment: Trump finally arrives at World Cup – but Balogun decision shows Fifa hasn’t learned its lesson
It came like a bolt from the blue, so much so that many Team USA players and staff were completely unaware of the pack of cards being shuffled behind closed doors on Sunday morning.
The extraordinary decision by Fifa to “suspend” Folarin Balogun’s one-match ban for his red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina means the United States will have their star striker available for the last-16 tie against Belgium, who maintain they are “astonished” at the decision. Just thirty-two hours before kick-off in Seattle, head coach Mauricio Pochettino has been handed a massive boost to his hopes of a quarter-final spot.
It is extraordinary because the case seemed closed: Fifa confirmed after the Bosnia match that, rightly or wrongly, there were no grounds for the US to appeal the decision or the sanction. However, the first indications that wheels were perhaps in motion higher up the food chain came on Friday.
Over in New Jersey…
Tonight’s other round of 16 clash is just about to get underway as Brazil take on Norway in New Jersey – and it could have England ramifications.
If England beat Mexico later on, they will face the winner here.
Alan Smith is bringing you all the action in that one before taking charge of this match in a few hours – tune into our live blog below:
