Mexico chase another slice of World Cup history as England return to the Azteca

Mexico stands on the cusp of a historic achievement, aiming to reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in four decades. Javier Aguirre's squad has been a revelation, navigating through the group stage with a perfect record of four wins and no goals conceded. This defensive solidity echoes the achievements of giants like Brazil in 1986 and Italy in 1990.

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Mexico will bid to continue their remarkable World Cup run when they face England in the last 16 on Sunday, with Javier Aguirre's side standing one victory away from a first quarter-final appearance in 40 years.

Their latest triumph, a commanding 2-0 victory over Ecuador, marked their first knockout stage win since 1986. Local media lauded the performance as one of the national team's finest. However, their path to the next round is blocked by England, a team that narrowly avoided an upset against DR Congo, with Harry Kane scoring twice to secure a 2-1 comeback.

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Standing in Mexico's way are England, who survived a scare against DR Congo thanks to Harry Kane's late double in a 2-1 comeback victory after Thomas Tuchel's side fell behind.

England's task is compounded by the challenge of playing in Mexico City's high altitude, a factor acknowledged by their coach Thomas Tuchel as a significant advantage for the hosts. Mexico, conversely, has acclimatized to the capital's 2,200-meter elevation throughout the tournament, playing most of their matches at the iconic Azteca Stadium, which was a fervent cauldron during their win against Ecuador.

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They head to the Azteca with little time to prepare for Mexico City's 2,200-metre (7,220-foot) altitude, a factor Tuchel has acknowledged gives the co-hosts a significant advantage.

The upcoming match at the Azteca will be its final World Cup fixture before the tournament shifts to the United States. England's last competitive game at this venue was a 2-1 defeat to Argentina in 1986, a match famously marked by Diego Maradona's controversial 'Hand of God' goal and his subsequent 'Goal of the Century'.

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England have not played a competitive match at the Azteca since their 2-1 quarter-final defeat by eventual champions Argentina in 1986, when Diego Maradona produced both the infamous "Hand of God" goal and his dazzling solo effort later dubbed the "Goal of the Century".