{"id":3796,"date":"2026-07-05T18:10:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T18:10:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=3796"},"modified":"2026-07-05T18:10:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-05T18:10:15","slug":"england-faces-mexico-at-monster-stadium-where-el-tri-has-yet-to-concede-a-goal-at-this-world-cup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=3796","title":{"rendered":"England faces Mexico at \u2018monster\u2019 stadium where El Tri has yet to concede a goal at this World Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

MEXICO CITY (AP) \u2014 Mexico has spent 40 years chasing a return to the World Cup quarterfinals. On Sunday, its best chance in a generation arrives. Playing on home soil in a venue that has become an almost impregnable fortress, El Tri will face England in the Round of 16 \u2014 in what is arguably the most important match in Mexican soccer history.<\/p>\n

Read more Deputy hurt after suspect launches \u2018live firework\u2019 at him during street takeover near Miami Lakes<\/a><\/p>\n

Mexico boasts an incredible record in official matches at Estadio Azteca. Since the venue opened in 1966, the national team has suffered just two defeats there, the latter of which was over a decade ago against Honduras in September 2013.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe stadium is a monster; that explains the high number of wins and draws, and the few losses \u2014 which were just accidents,\u201d said Hugo S\u00e1nchez, the striker who played in the 1986 World Cup and now works as an ESPN analyst. \u201cWe approach this with optimism because we know it\u2019s England, but if we play the way we did against Ecuador, we can beat them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The numbers back up the myth. Across the 1970, 1986, and current World Cups on home soil, Mexico has played 10 matches at Azteca, winning eight and drawing two. In this tournament alone, El Tri has secured three home wins without conceding a goal: 2-0 against South Africa and 3-0 against Czech Republic in the group stage, and 2-0 against Ecuador in the Round of 32. Mexico also defeated South Korea 1-0 in Guadalajara in the group stage.<\/p>\n

It’s the first time Mexico has started a World Cup by winning four consecutive matches.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have played three World Cups in Mexico; it is hard for me to say if it is (the biggest match). In 1970 we played Italy for the semifinals, in ’86 we played Germany also for the semifinals,\u201d Mexico coach Javier Aguirre said Saturday. \u201cThere have been several important matches in history and tomorrow is certainly one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Breaking the curse<\/p>\n

These results have ignited the hopes of millions of Mexicans, many of whom weren\u2019t even born the last time the nation reached the quarterfinals. After achieving that feat in 1986, Mexico\u2019s World Cup history became a psychological hurdle: It missed the 1990 tournament, followed by seven consecutive, agonizing Round of 16 exits before failing to escape the group stage four years ago in Qatar.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m one of those who couldn\u2019t make it through; it happened to me in South Africa and Korea,\u201d said Aguirre, who coached El Tri during those campaigns. \u201cIt\u2019s deeply painful because you play a great group stage, only to be knocked out for a variety of reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mexico’s eliminations comprise a catalog of heartbreaks, including a penalty shootout loss to Bulgaria in 1994 when Aguirre was an assistant coach under Miguel Mej\u00eda Bar\u00f3n and defeats in 1998 and 2014 to Germany and the Netherlands when El Tri squandered late leads in the final minutes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will be facing a top-four team in the world according to FIFA, a world champion in ’66 and one country with a great league,\u201d Aguirre said. \u201cIn order to beat them, we need to do a nearly perfect match and to be better than what we\u2019ve been so far.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, the script could flip. At Azteca \u2014 which sits 7,300 feet (2,200 meters) above sea level \u2014 Mexico will rely heavily on the altitude and the backing of a ferocious home crowd, as it did in the group stage.<\/p>\n

Read more Deputies seek suspect after overnight \u2018street takeover\u2019 near Doral leaves 3 hurt<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cEngland is one of the great national teams in the history of football, with outstanding players. We all agreed that we wanted a match like this,\u201d midfielder Alvaro Fidalgo said Saturday. \u201cWe are in great form, the Azteca is an intimidating venue, and ultimately, it\u2019s a World Cup Round of 16 match. That\u2019s never easy for anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

The English challenge<\/p>\n

England enters the knockout stage fresh off a 2-1 victory over Congo, powered by a pair of goals from star striker Harry Kane. Kane headlines an elite English squad that reached the quarterfinals at the last World Cup before falling to eventual finalist France.<\/p>\n

A victory for the Three Lions would send them to the quarterfinals for the sixth time in their history \u2014 and the third consecutive time \u2014 keeping alive the dream of a title that has eluded them since 1966.<\/p>\n

On paper, England holds the clear advantage in talent, led by Premier League standouts, whereas Mexico\u2019s spearhead is Juli\u00e1n Qui\u00f1ones, the top scorer in the Saudi League.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have very experienced players who play in the toughest leagues and the biggest clubs in the world. We all know these games from Champions League matches where you play up against, against the energy of a stadium and that we are prepared for that,\u201d England coach Thomas Tuchel said Saturday. \u201cWe are prepared for strong start of the Mexican team. I guess they will they will try to give us a taste of intensity.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, the playing conditions could serve as the ultimate equalizer.<\/p>\n

England arrived in the northern part of Mexico City on Friday night, a mere two days before kickoff. Sports scientists and altitude experts generally recommend two options for high-altitude competition: Arrive weeks in advance for full acclimatization or fly in as close as possible to kickoff. By choosing a 48-hour window, England has entered the dead zone experts warn against.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe feel it. Even if we don\u2019t train, we feel it. I felt a slight headache. And in the hotel room through the day, didn\u2019t sleep as well as the days before, but nothing that you cannot handle,\u201d Tuchel said. \u201cIt\u2019s just what it is. We cannot physically adapt. It\u2019s just impossible. But we are here one day before to experience it, at least to not have all the first time experience in the warm-up.\u201d<\/p>\n

To compound the strain, passionate Mexican fans are already plotting psychological warfare. Hundreds are expected to converge on England\u2019s hotel to disrupt players’ sleep \u2014 a tactic deployed against Ecuador, when fans used loudspeakers, drums and revving motorcycles into the early-morning hours.<\/p>\n

England is attempting to remain unfazed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had no issues last night. I think FIFA took care of the situation. And we have security around the hotel, so we expect a good night of sleep,\u201d Tuchel said. \u201cI don\u2019t want to talk about problems that don\u2019t exist yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Couple accused of neglecting 2 \u2018young children\u2019 at Key Largo resort<\/a><\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

AP Soccer Writer James Robson in Atlanta contributed to this report.<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

See more of AP\u2019s World Cup coverage here<\/p>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MEXICO CITY (AP) \u2014 Mexico has spent 40 years chasing a return to the World Cup quarterfinals. On Sunday, its best chance in a generation arrives. Playing on home soil in a venue that has become an almost impregnable fortress, El Tri will face England in the Round of 16 \u2014 in what is arguably the most important match in Mexican soccer history.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3795,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3796","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\nEngland faces Mexico at \u2018monster\u2019 stadium where El Tri has yet to concede a goal at this World Cup - South Florida Moving Guides<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=3796\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"England faces Mexico at \u2018monster\u2019 stadium where El Tri has yet to concede a goal at this World Cup - South Florida Moving Guides\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"MEXICO CITY (AP) \u2014 Mexico has spent 40 years chasing a return to the World Cup quarterfinals. On Sunday, its best chance in a generation arrives. Playing on home soil in a venue that has become an almost impregnable fortress, El Tri will face England in the Round of 16 \u2014 in what is arguably the most important match in Mexican soccer history.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=3796\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"South Florida Moving Guides\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-05T18:10:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/southfloridamovingguides.com\\\/?p=3796#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/southfloridamovingguides.com\\\/?p=3796\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/southfloridamovingguides.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/20969a46eb23057893f2f0726e65003e\"},\"headline\":\"England faces Mexico at \u2018monster\u2019 stadium where El Tri has yet to concede a goal at this World Cup\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-05T18:10:15+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/southfloridamovingguides.com\\\/?p=3796\"},\"wordCount\":1127,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/southfloridamovingguides.com\\\/?p=3796#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/southfloridamovingguides.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/c7bae7c8ff8b58e135f1a808b9028bc8.avif\",\"articleSection\":[\"Sports\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/southfloridamovingguides.com\\\/?p=3796#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/southfloridamovingguides.com\\\/?p=3796\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/southfloridamovingguides.com\\\/?p=3796\",\"name\":\"England faces Mexico at \u2018monster\u2019 stadium where El Tri has yet to concede a goal at this World Cup - South Florida Moving Guides\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/southfloridamovingguides.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/southfloridamovingguides.com\\\/?p=3796#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/southfloridamovingguides.com\\\/?p=3796#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/southfloridamovingguides.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/c7bae7c8ff8b58e135f1a808b9028bc8.avif\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-05T18:10:15+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/southfloridamovingguides.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/20969a46eb23057893f2f0726e65003e\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/southfloridamovingguides.com\\\/?p=3796#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/southfloridamovingguides.com\\\/?p=3796\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/southfloridamovingguides.com\\\/?p=3796#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/southfloridamovingguides.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/c7bae7c8ff8b58e135f1a808b9028bc8.avif\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/southfloridamovingguides.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/c7bae7c8ff8b58e135f1a808b9028bc8.avif\",\"width\":700,\"height\":467},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/southfloridamovingguides.com\\\/?p=3796#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/southfloridamovingguides.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"England faces Mexico at \u2018monster\u2019 stadium where El Tri has yet to concede a goal at this World Cup\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/southfloridamovingguides.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/southfloridamovingguides.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"South Florida Moving Guides\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/southfloridamovingguides.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/southfloridamovingguides.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/20969a46eb23057893f2f0726e65003e\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/southfloridamovingguides.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/southfloridamovingguides.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"England faces Mexico at \u2018monster\u2019 stadium where El Tri has yet to concede a goal at this World Cup - South Florida Moving Guides","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=3796","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"England faces Mexico at \u2018monster\u2019 stadium where El Tri has yet to concede a goal at this World Cup - South Florida Moving Guides","og_description":"MEXICO CITY (AP) \u2014 Mexico has spent 40 years chasing a return to the World Cup quarterfinals. On Sunday, its best chance in a generation arrives. Playing on home soil in a venue that has become an almost impregnable fortress, El Tri will face England in the Round of 16 \u2014 in what is arguably the most important match in Mexican soccer history.","og_url":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=3796","og_site_name":"South Florida Moving Guides","article_published_time":"2026-07-05T18:10:15+00:00","author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=3796#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=3796"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/#\/schema\/person\/20969a46eb23057893f2f0726e65003e"},"headline":"England faces Mexico at \u2018monster\u2019 stadium where El Tri has yet to concede a goal at this World Cup","datePublished":"2026-07-05T18:10:15+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=3796"},"wordCount":1127,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=3796#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/c7bae7c8ff8b58e135f1a808b9028bc8.avif","articleSection":["Sports"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=3796#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=3796","url":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=3796","name":"England faces Mexico at \u2018monster\u2019 stadium where El Tri has yet to concede a goal at this World Cup - South Florida Moving Guides","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=3796#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=3796#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/c7bae7c8ff8b58e135f1a808b9028bc8.avif","datePublished":"2026-07-05T18:10:15+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/#\/schema\/person\/20969a46eb23057893f2f0726e65003e"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=3796#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=3796"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=3796#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/c7bae7c8ff8b58e135f1a808b9028bc8.avif","contentUrl":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/c7bae7c8ff8b58e135f1a808b9028bc8.avif","width":700,"height":467},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=3796#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"England faces Mexico at \u2018monster\u2019 stadium where El Tri has yet to concede a goal at this World Cup"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/","name":"South Florida Moving Guides","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/#\/schema\/person\/20969a46eb23057893f2f0726e65003e","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com"],"url":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3796","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3796"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3796\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3795"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3796"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3796"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3796"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}