Four 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 3 itemslist 1 of 3Mbappe draws level with Messi as France beat Paraguay to set up Morocco tielist 2 of 3Ounahi fires Morocco into World Cup quarterfinals with 3-0 win over Canadalist 3 of 3Ticket prices plunge for USA-Belgium World Cup last-16 matchend 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?
