Key events2h agoPreambleEngland captain Harry Kane knows his side cannot expect to win the World Cup without passing tests like their last-16 tie with Mexico in Mexico City.Kane saved England from one of their most embarrassing results in history as two goals in the final 15 minutes earned a 2-1 win over the Democratic Republic of Congo in the last 32 in Atlanta.Thomas Tuchel’s men were 15 minutes away from going home, instead they will now head to the host nation for a game at altitude on Sunday night where their credentials for winning the tournament will come under their biggest examination yet. Kane knows if he has any chance of lifting the trophy in two and a half weeks then England need to prevail.“I want to enjoy this one, because I know there’s another extremely tough game coming in four days,” Kane said. “Mexico, in Mexico, is as big as it gets maybe in the World Cup. The atmosphere is going to be incredible. It’s going to be tough for many different reasons but ultimately, if you want to be world champions, you have to go through tough games, good teams, Mexico at home.“We have to be ready but for now I just want to enjoy this moment, I want to recover, relax, and then obviously the focus will turn pretty quickly onto that one on Sunday. They’ve obviously won every game so far in the tournament, but they’re playing at home. The fans will be right behind them so we’ll have to be ready for it, no doubt, but we spoke about our quality and being ourselves in every game.” PAAfter Senegal blew a late lead against Belgium to go out of the World Cup, midfielder Pape Gueye said he would not play for the team while the coaching staff stays.Senegal led 2-0 after 85 minutes in the round of 32 game but gave up two goals before the 90th minute and ended up losing 3-2 to a penalty awarded deep in extra time.Gueye posted on Instagram that “as long as it’s this technical staff in place, I will take a break from the national team.” The 27-year-old Villarreal player, who scored two goals in Senegal’s 5-0 group-stage win over Iraq, did not mention coach Pape Thiaw.A tough year for Senegal already saw its Africa Cup of Nations title won in January — on Gueye’s extra-time goal against Morocco — overturned in an unprecedented appeal case.Then, Thiaw took his team off the field after host nation Morocco was awarded a stoppage-time penalty when the score was 0-0. Play resumed after a 15-minute delay and Morocco’s penalty was saved.When Morocco appealed post-game disciplinary rulings, judges for the Confederation of African Football ruled Senegal should default the game and suspended Thiaw for five games in the next edition of the competition.Senegal is awaiting its appeal hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland. APTim gets in touch: “I recall staying up for South Korea v Bolivia in USA 94. The day before my maths GCSE exam, but I was determined to continue my run of not missing a game. My reward? A turgid 0-0. Still passed the exam, though.”And here it is in all its glory. Photograph: Rick Stewart/Getty ImagesWith England set to kick off at 1am BST on Monday. I must ask … what is the latest you have stayed up on a school night for a sporting event?Dan P writes: “I know it’s tedious to moan about refereeing, but I do think the overall standard of officiating at this World Cup has been pretty poor. There’s been a fair number of genuinely head-scratching moments, and they somehow they seem to have contrived a way to make VAR even more useless. Which is quite the achievement, when you think about it.”Aye. I agree but I’ve been reticent to say it out loud.There is a bit of hype around Mexico’s Gilberto Mora but whether the teenager is the right man to face England is up for debate. He is technically very gifted but may struggle physically against a team like England, and, thinking long term, in the Premier League.Gilberto MoraI wonder which of the England squad have played at The Hawthorns, the highest ground in the top four divisions in England. I am not sure sitting at 168m above sea level it is comparable to the 2,000m they will be forced to play in in Mexico.Thomas Tuchel believes England’s inability to adapt to the altitude in Mexico gives the co-hosts a “huge advantage” heading into this weekend’s crunch World Cup last-16 clash.Having topped Group L with victories against Croatia and Panama sandwiching the stalemate with Ghana, it looked like Sir Gareth Southgate’s successor would fall at the first hurdle of the knockouts.Brian Cipenga’s early strike and an exceptional display from DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi had England facing a round-of-32 exit every bit as humiliating as the Euros loss to Iceland a decade ago.But Harry Kane, a member of that defeated side, scored twice in a 2-1 turnaround that sets up an unmissable encounter against Mexico, where the challenges include playing more than 2,000 metres above sea level.“I think the heat and the humidity will not be the problem for us,” boss Tuchel said ahead of the trip to Mexico City. “We are used to that. We are used to that from training times and our prep camp in Florida.“My understanding is that we cannot adapt to the altitude. That is just a huge advantage that Mexico will have. It just takes too much time. We have only three days in between this match. This is physically just not possible to adapt to the altitude, which is quite high.“We knew that before, so this is just something, it’s just a disadvantage, with which we will have to deal, and I think we showed the attitude that we are ready for that, and from there we go.” PA MediaBill emails: “I feel moved enough to put forward a three sentence argument on the first half penalty decision“Yes, going by the rule book, it more than likely should have been given. However, I think not giving it is the right thing to do because strikers can, and do as Kane did, go down knowing they swap out a half chance of a goal to a near certainty of one.“I think there’s more benefit to the game by not giving these as penalties, as scoring is rightfully hard enough as it is, and a goalkeeper’s thrilling heroics diving at the feet of a striker is one of the more iconic football images that we need more of.“Still, England need to get a stomp on over national borders to win in Mexico, and best of luck to them.“Finally, Senegal were robbed last night. Gutted for them.”Sid Lowe has been having a natter with Spain’s Fabian Ruiz before they face Austria.