World Cup 2026: Why England Players Aren't Afraid of Mexico and Azteca
July 6, 2026 ยท Global
Alan Shearer discusses why England's players are not intimidated by the challenge they will face against Mexico at the Azteca Stadium during the 2026 World Cup.
I've heard a lot of talk about the tough conditions England will face at the Azteca Stadium - but I don't think the players will be worried about that. Instead of being afraid of the various tests they face, they will just think 'let's do it'. I knew I would be. All the talking will stop when they walk off the field, and if they play according to the game, not according to the atmosphere, I think they will win. Yes, it will be a tough challenge, because of the altitude, the atmosphere and everything. Hosts Mexico will be playing at home and the crowd could be as high as 80% of their supporters, which is very different from what England have faced in this tournament so far. However, as a player, these are the types of games and moments you train and work hard for your whole life, because playing in such an iconic stadium and appearing in a World Cup in front of millions of TV viewers, with a place in the quarter-finals as the reward, is what you dream of since childhood. I've wanted to go to the Azteca since I watched the 1986 World Cup on TV as a teenager, and this was England's first time back since losing their epic quarter-final against Argentina. This will be an extraordinary spectacle as well as a unique test. I've been following England all over the United States during this World Cup, and we've had a majority of supporters in all four games so far. Against DR Congo in Atlanta, around 75% of the crowd will support England, but this will feel very different and is another reason why this is a very exciting match to look forward to. I'll be there, co-commentating with Guy Mowbray, and as excited about this as the fans are. I'm sure the players are excited too. Yes, it's a challenge but I would tell them to take it and enjoy it - be positive and show us all what you can do. The sound of fireworks will not disturb the players. Confusion over the kick-off time only adds to the noise surrounding this match, but I don't see how it can be changed and brought forward earlier than the scheduled time. It's a stupid idea because it could influence the thousands of fans who fly in from all over the world to watch it. The atmosphere in Mexico City is already loud enough - I saw the welcome England received when they arrived at their hotel on Friday, and we know Ecuador were also disturbed by the sound of horns and fireworks before their last-32 tie. I wouldn't be surprised if we found out later that there was some disruption for England the night before their match too, perhaps from the alarm going off in their hotel or something similar. That's nothing new - it happens sometimes when you're staying anywhere before a Premier League game. It's annoying but you have to accept it and move on. If that happens, I don't think it will bother the English players, nor will Mexico's record at the Azteca. Again, I've heard a lot about that in recent days, and how they've lost just two of 89 competitive games there since 1966. That's a run of results worthy of respect, but when you look at the list of teams they've faced, they haven't faced such great opposition each time. It doesn't make me think they're invincible and again, from a player's perspective, it's the kind of thing you know and think, 'alright, we'll rise to the challenge too'. While I expect England to win, Thomas Tuchel has some decisions to make about his team. Whoever plays at right-back will have to face Julian Quinones, who is one of Mexico's dangerous players with three goals in this World Cup so far. Tuchel might gain more defensive stability if he plays Djed Spence, but in doing so, England might lose a bit of attacking firepower. This is an area to pay attention to, no matter who plays. The same applies on the wings, where he keeps changing players. On the left, I feel Anthony Gordon was good enough when he came on against DR Congo to be worth starting this time, but I'm less sure whether Noni Madueke or Bukayo Saka will get a chance on the right. One area I wouldn't change is in the middle of the midfield. I wouldn't even consider starting Declan Rice at right-back, which is the position where he ended the game against Congo, because along with Elliot Anderson and Jude Bellingham, they give us good balance in the middle. However, whatever Tuchel chooses, we will have to start the game much quicker than we did against DR Congo. If we start slow, and concede another goal, it will be very difficult for us to bounce back. The round of 16 is when the tournament really kicks off and I'm really looking forward to what happens next. There is no doubt that the best story so far in this World Cup has been Cape Verde and what they did against Spain to achieve a goalless draw and then Argentina. In the end, they lost to the defending champions, but the way they faced the game was extraordinary, and the players could be proud despite the loss. As for the best team, well, it's still France. From what I've seen so far, nothing has changed my mind since I picked them as winners before a ball was kicked. They remain the team to beat - I just hope England can get through their part of the draw to have a shot at playing them in the final. Likewise, I still have Kylian Mbappe as my pick to win the Golden Boot race. It's incredible to see the list of top scorers because every name you would think would be on there, actually is. Mbappe should still be the favorite as France will probably go all the way and he will score most of their goals, but hopefully Harry Kane will give him some meaningful competition ahead of the final too - starting with a few more goals against Mexico.