Except for the mountains, England’s landscape has no shortage of contrasts. On Sunday, they will have exactly what they need to climb if they are to beat Mexico and reach the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The first is literal. The Estadio Azteca is 2,240 meters above sea level, although the quality may make up for it. The second is historical. In their last World Cup match in Azteca, England lost 2-1 to Argentina and the mountain on that occasion was Diego Armando Maradona, his 5’5″ frame and the arm that made him a god. It may not create the same fear in existing crops. The third is statistical. Mexico have not lost a World Cup match at the Azteca and have a remarkable 78.65 percent win rate at the stadium. Knockout football cares little about probability.
And then comes the steepest climb of them all: the defense of Mexico.
Conversations in Javier Aguirre’s side have revolved around teenage sensation Gilberto Mora, the flair of Julian Quinones and the renaissance of Raul Jimenez. Yet Aguirre’s side don’t have the ferocity of France in front of goal or the ferocity of Spain, ranking 12th in expected goals and 25th in possession control. This raises an obvious question: How did they run a flawless campaign so far? Sir Alex Ferguson’s saying has rarely been more apt: “Attack wins you games, defense wins you titles.”
Also read | Mexico’s Quinones: faced racism, almost joined the guerrillas but now a national hero
After 386 minutes of football, Mexico’s defensive record remained intact, with four clean sheets in four games, zero goals, a run that also ended a 40-year wait for a World Cup knockout victory. Since Italy in 1990, only one nation, Switzerland in 2006, had previously opened a World Cup with four consecutive shutouts, and the Swiss had not won all four. Mexico not only included them, but made them better.
Upon closer inspection, success is based not on individual brilliance but on collective effort. means:
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CDM: Eric Lira
It starts with him. Aguirre’s 4-1-2-3 evolved into two separate units: four defenders behind the ball, five attackers ahead of it. And among them, the conductor, Eric Lira. His primary role is to lead Aguirre’s effective low-block system, cutting off passing lanes. He proved his mettle in the opener by scoring the most turnovers against South Africa. However, what makes him unique is his work rate. Lira covered 11.87 kilometers against South Korea and another 11.62 kilometers against Ecuador, top figures on the pitch in both matches, a rare feat for a holding midfielder. In Mexico, people have started calling him “the man of the kilometer”. As fair.
Full backs: Jorge Sanchez and Jesus Gallardo
In the absence of his father, Jorge Sánchez grew up in poverty. “I didn’t have a piece of furniture to sit on. Those tough moments made me,” he once said. His football wages bought the first furniture in the family home. Meanwhile, Sanchez runs before he sits down. The right back was first in the sprint distance in two of Mexico’s four games against the Czech Republic and Ecuador. In another match, against South Korea, he was second in total distance covered.
Mexico’s defensive line will be England’s biggest concern in the World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match. (AP)
On the opposite side, the Gallardo offers an almost busy profile, perhaps one reason the pair complement each other seamlessly. At 31, after a decade of national service, Gallardo’s legs no longer allow him to outrun his compatriots. Experience has compensated for the mileage. He played a key role in Quinones’ opener against Ecuador, and in the last two Liga MX seasons, no defender has recorded more assists than him.
Centre-backs: Cesar Montes and Johan Vasquez
Relatively weaker teams tend to focus on midfield chokeholds and force opponents to go wide, a consistent pattern in this tournament. England know this better than anyone against DR Congo, where Declan Rice’s cross proved to be their saviour. If he tries something similar against Mexico, he will have El Tri’s 6’3″ giant Cesar Montes waiting for him. Montes is Mexico’s slowest outfield player, but he makes up for it with his dominance in the air. Last season, only one player in the Russian Premier League recorded more head clearances than him.
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Johan Vasquez completes the set. One of only four Mexican players currently involved in Europe’s top five leagues, Vázquez has shone at Genoa despite the language barrier, largely due to his ability to read the game. It finished joint-fifth in the 2025–26 Serie A season.
A gauntlet of five, each with their own strengths. Five distinct qualities, but one collective identity.
Mexico should hold the record for one more evening, waiting for Miami, a city that has spent the summer of this World Cup under stress of its own, with ICE protests largely sparked by Mexican residents, even as the tournament’s co-host nation built its own wall along its southern border. England will first have to break through a different kind of defensive wall.