England will face Mexico in the World Cup 2026 last 16 after their comeback win over DR Congo. Harry Kane scored twice in the final 15 minutes in Atlanta on Wednesday to secure a 2-1 victory after trailing to Brian Cipenga's early goal.
Mexico's Knockout Win
Mexico celebrated their first World Cup knockout win since 1986 by defeating Ecuador 2-0. First-half goals from Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez secured the victory in front of a passionate home crowd. Ecuador had earlier beaten Germany to advance from Group E.
In stoppage time, Arsenal's Piero Hincapie became the second player sent off at this World Cup for covering his mouth during a confrontation, under FIFA's new rules.
Match Details
The last-16 tie takes place on Sunday July 5, 2026, with a local kick-off time of 6pm at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. For UK viewers, the match begins at 1am BST on Monday July 6 due to the seven-hour time difference.
Estadio Azteca Fortress
Mexico have an extraordinary record at the 87,523-capacity Azteca, which sits over 2,000 metres above sea level. They have lost only two of 89 competitive games there, the last in September 2013 against Honduras. Of those games, 70 are wins and 17 draws.
The venue holds mixed memories for England: they beat Paraguay 3-0 there in the 1986 last 16 but lost 2-1 to Argentina in the quarter-finals, where Diego Maradona scored the 'Goal of the Century' after his 'Hand of God'.
Impact on Fans
The overnight kick-off means many UK fans will stay up to watch, potentially affecting productivity on Monday morning as supporters celebrate or commiserate.
