Victory in Mexico City will set up a quarter-final date with destiny in Miami against either five-time champions Brazil or Erling Haaland and Norway.
Round of 16
Monday, 6 July | Mexico City Stadium
Kick-off time
08:00 (GMT+8)
The match
Mexico are beginning to believe this may be their tournament as they enter their fifth consecutive match on home turf, and their fourth at the Mexico City Stadium. Javier Aguirre’s men secured a perfect nine points during the FIFA World Cup 2026™ group stage, overcoming South Africa, Czechia and Korea Republic, marking Mexico’s best first phase at the tournament. Expectation and excitement around the team are mounting after El Tri dismantled Ecuador in the Round of 32. Victory in the last 16 would equal their best finish at the global showpiece and mark their return to the quarter-finals for the first time since 1986, coincidentally the last time they hosted the tournament. However, to continue their dream run, top performers Joel Quinones and Raul Jimenez will have to power El Tri past Thomas Tuchel’s dogged England.
England return to Mexico City, the scene of one of their most famous defeats, looking to overcome the weight of history. The Three Lions famously fell to eventual champions Argentina in the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup thanks to Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ moment and his incredible solo goal. This time, England take on co-hosts Mexico who are a force to be reckoned with on home turf. The Three Lions enter the match having been pushed to the limit by Congo DR in the Round of 32. In the group stage, England defeated Panama and fellow European heavyweights Croatia, while drawing 0-0 with Ghana. Harry Kane’s five goals so far this tournament and Jude Bellingham’s exceptional play in midfield have England fans hoping for another deep tournament run, after reaching the 2018 semi-finals and 2022 quarter-finals.
Mexico possible starting XI
Rangel; Sanchez, Montes, Vasquez, Gallardo; Mora, Lira, Romo; Quinones, Alvarado, Jimenez
England possible starting XI
Pickford; James, Konsa, Guehi, O’Reilly; Rice, Anderson, Bellingham; Saka, Kane, Gordon
What they said…
“There are still things to work on for sure and these rounds are just about getting through. We are in the part of the tournament when you have to grind wins out, and that’s what we have done.” Harry Kane, England captain
“They have important players both inside and outside of England; they are physically powerful and play good football. I remember a shift in their style of play starting with (Gareth) Southgate, and (Thomas) Tuchel has continued that. It’s a team that can play two different ways. Before, they were fast and direct, they would overwhelm you… today, they still do that, but if they see it isn’t working, they can change their approach. There have been many historic matches in the history of Mexican football; this will be one of them.” Javier Aguirre, Mexico coach
“It’s a match everyone dreamed of… facing England in the Round of 16 in this stadium. It’s probably one of the biggest games we are ever going to experience as players. We know they have good players; we know how they play. Their midfield is highly physical, above all. They have great players in every position. They are going to be great opponents.” Alvaro Fidalgo, Mexico midfielder
Mexico City Stadium
World Cup 2026 says farewell to Mexico City Stadium with this titanic Round of 16 clash. The historic venue hosted the tournament opener which saw the co-hosts get their campaign up and running with a 2-0 victory over South Africa. Two other group stage matches were played here: Colombia’s victory over Uzbekistan and El Tri’s defeat of Czechia. The stadium was also in use for Mexico’s dominant Round of 32 victory over Ecuador, which set up their match against England.
Sitting roughly 2,200 metres above sea level, Mexico City Stadium is a true coliseum of world football and one of the toughest venues for opposition players. In 2026, the legendary venue which set the stage for players like Pele and Diego Maradona to conquer the world in the World Cup finals in 1970 and 1986, became the first stadium to host three FIFA World Cups. The stadium is currently home to Club America and Cruz Azul of Liga MX, as well as the Mexican national team, while Pumas, Atlante, Atletico Espanyol and Necaxa have all played there in the past. Mexico City Stadium also hosted the final of the FIFA U-17 World Cup™ in 2011, when a crowd of 98,943 set the record for attendance at a single match in the history of this prestigious youth tournament.