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:
‘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.
Here The Independent’s Jack Rathborn & Kieran Jackson explain exactly what England will face at the Estadio Azteca:
England ready to take on ‘monster’ Azteca and Mexico at World Cup
“The stadium is a monster; that explains the high number of wins and draws, and the few losses—which were just accidents,” said the legendary Hugo Sánchez.
“We approach this with optimism because we know it’s England, but if we play the way we did against Ecuador, we can beat them.”
Who will the winner face next?
The winners will meet Brazil or Norway in a last eight tie slated for Saturday 11 July in Miami at 10pm BST.
What is England’s early team news?
Right-back remains the primary area of concern for Thomas Tuchel with Reece James and Jarrel Quansah both fighting for fitness.
Should they not be available Djed Spence could continue there despite struggling throughout the DR Congo game. Declan Rice will play despite his continuing issues with what Tuchel described as “terrible” neural pain.
Predicted England XI: Pickford; Spence, Konsa, Guehi, O’Reilly; Anderson, Rice; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane.
England enter the Azteca cathedral – football’s greatest stadium
From Pele to Diego Maradona, the footballing Mecca has witnessed some of the sport’s most iconic moments, writes Miguel Delaney, and England must embrace the history when they face Mexico
What is the early Mexican team news?
Mexico have no major worries, although star winger Julian Quinones is managing a knock.
Predicted Mexico XI: Rangel; Sanchez, Montes, Vasquez, Gallardo; Mora, Lira, Romo; Alvarado, Jimenez, Quinones.
How can I watch it?
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on BBC1, with coverage on the channel from 12am BST.
A live stream will be available via BBC iPlayer.
A spoiler-free replay of the game will also air on the BBC at 7.10am on Monday morning.
When is Mexico vs England?
Mexico vs England is due to kick off at 1am BST on Monday 6 July at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City – but that may change because of the threat of severe thunderstorms.
A new time of 7pm BST on Sunday was been proposed, according to reports in Mexico but Fifa have confirmed that the original kick off time will remain.
Mexico v England
England face the daunting prospect of ending Mexico’s 13-year unbeaten run at the Azteca Stadium in what promises to be a compelling World Cup 2026 last-16 clash.
Thomas Tuchel’s team, who are yet to hit the heights expected of them pre-tournament, must deal with a passionate home crowd and the complications of performing at altitude.
And as the co-hosts ride the crest of a wave with four wins in a row sending Mexico City wild, Javier Aguirre’s side will be relishing the chance of an upset in one of the game’s great theatres in what was anticipated to be the early hours of Monday morning BST but may yet me moved to an earlier time owing to weather concerns.
Mexico authorities announce police action for World Cup showdown against England after tragic incident
Mexican authorities have announced that 17,000 police officers will be deployed on the streets of Mexico City on Sunday for Mexico’s blockbuster World Cup 2026 clash against England.
Arguably the biggest game in the history of Mexican football, the co-hosts are aiming to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup for just the third time. The game is set to kick-off at 6pm local time (1pm BST) as originally planned.
