The incredible stat that shows why England should fear Mexico showdown at World Cup 2026 | OneFootball

Three Lions will need to be at their very best to book quarter-final spot at the fortress Estadio Azteca

The famous Estadio Azteca in Mexico City has long been one of football’s most iconic stadiums, steeped in rich World Cup folklore.

Make no mistake, it is a serious challenge for the Three Lions, who rather laboured to the top of Group L despite a thrilling opening win over Croatia and then needed two late Harry Kane goals to avoid a humiliating early exit from the round of 32 against a DR Congo team playing in their first-ever World Cup knockout match.

Of their 89 previous competitive fixtures at the 87,523-capacity ground, which was first opened in the year of England’s one and only World Cup triumph to date in 1966, El Tri have lost only two.

The last was when they were stunned 2-1 by Honduras in September 2013 in qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, while the first was in June 2001, when they were shocked by Costa Rica in qualification for the 2002 tournament in Japan and South Korea - an episode known as ‘Aztecazo’.

Fortress: Mexico brushed aside Ecuador at the Estadio Azteca in their first World Cup knockout win since 1986

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Before that, Mexico’s only losses at the Azteca - known during this World Cup simply as Mexico City Stadium - had been in friendlies, against Hungary, Brazil, Italy, Peru, Chile and Spain. The last of those friendly losses was in 1981.

70 of those 89 competitive matches have been wins, with 17 draws.

It has continued to be a safe haven for Mexico at this World Cup so far, with three of their four fixtures having been at the Azteca.

On Tuesday, they got first-half goals from Julian Quinones and Wolves striker Raul Jimenez to down 10-man Ecuador 2-0 - achieving their first World Cup knockout win since they last hosted the tournament back in 1986, when they beat Bulgaria in the last 16 before being ousted by West Germany on penalties in the quarter-finals.

Ecuador have lodged an official complaint with FIFA over fireworks being set off outside their team hotel the night before the game - the sort of episode England will be keen to avoid.

The Azteca was also the site of their opening 2-0 victory over South Africa in which a total of three red cards were brandished, with Mexico later brushing aside Czech Republic there after a brief trip to the even higher-altitude Estadio Guadalajara saw them edge out South Korea 1-0 and confirm their progress into the round of 32 as Group A winners.

England will not need any reminding of their last visit to the Azteca - one that is firmly imprinted on the nation’s football consciousness for eternity.

It was also in ‘86, when, having easily dispatched Paraguay 3-0 in the round of 16 at the same stadium, Bobby Robson’s Three Lions came up against Argentina in the quarters, going down 2-1 as Diego Maradona followed the infamous ‘Hand of God’ with arguably the finest goal in World Cup history.

“I'm just coming from this match, and trying to enjoy, but it is maybe one of the most beautiful fixtures, most exciting fixtures than you can have,” head coach Thomas Tuchel said of England meeting Mexico in the last 16.

“You play against Mexico in the Azteca, and there will be a lot, a lot, a lot of obstacles waiting for us.

“Not to mention the altitude will be, of course, a big disadvantage, because we cannot physically adapt to it in four days. It's just impossible and more obstacles will maybe come.

“But we are ready for that, we need it maybe. We have the ideal platform now to genuinely believe that we are ready for that, and when the going gets tough, that we will find the answers.”