England captain Harry Kane has declared that the team is determined to "write their own history" when they face Mexico at the iconic Azteca Stadium on Sunday. The match carries extra significance as it marks 40 years since Diego Maradona's infamous "Hand of God" goal helped Argentina eliminate England from the 1986 World Cup in the same venue.
Kane's Personal Memory of Maradona
Kane, who met the late Maradona in October 2017 when the Argentine legend was a guest at Wembley for a Tottenham Hotspur match, recalled a different interaction. "We didn't talk about that game," Kane said. "It's not a game many English people want to talk about to be honest. He was great when I met him." A video from that meeting resurfaced this week, showing Maradona offering finishing tips to Kane. "There was a clip of him talking about me finishing and giving the keeper the eyes. It's quite a nice clip actually," Kane added.
Embracing the Challenge
Kane acknowledged the daunting atmosphere expected at the Azteca, which holds nearly 87,000 fans. "Mexico is going to be special for the atmosphere, the fans, the stadium itself. A World Cup knockout game. When you think of a big World Cup game, this is probably as big as it gets in terms of atmosphere," he said. "It's an historic stadium for many different reasons. A tough one to take as an Englishman after that game in particular but it was a long, long time ago. Forty years ago now."
The England skipper emphasized focusing on the present. "It's about writing our own history, we know we have the chance to do something really special in a special stadium away from home. There is nothing better than that feeling of winning in a tough away game. It's not about the past, it's about what we can do in the future. We have a great opportunity to have a special evening on Sunday."
Turning Point After DR Congo Win
Kane believes England's hard-fought victory against DR Congo could be a turning point. "I've spoken before in other tournaments about peaking at the right time. It's really important. You very rarely see the team come out of the gates hot and then sustain that all the way through to the end. It happens but quite rarely," he said. "What you do learn in tournament football is that there's not always a perfect way to win. Of course we want to play a great game."
He stressed the need for adaptability. "We hope that we can play our style and play attacking football and keep a clean sheet and all these things but we're also coming up against a team who are playing at home, playing for pride, playing for a place in the next round of the World Cup. It's not always as simple as that. You might need to grind it out. You might need to find a difficult way to win."
Altitude and Atmosphere
England face additional challenges, including Mexico's intimidating home record and the high altitude of 7,200 feet above sea level. Kane explained the team's preparation: "There is not much we could do with altitude training. We did heat training in Florida for 10 days to acclimatise. The altitude was almost impossible to prepare for. Unless we stayed in Mexico the whole time or based there for 10 days."
Despite the difficulties, Kane remains optimistic. "Logistically that would've been great for the rest of the tournament. It wouldn't have been worth it. It's a big talking point and will have a small difference but we're professional athletes, we have to deal with adversity every now and then. We're doing as much as we can with little tips to help us. We'll have to deal with it. There is no other way around it. If we get through it then all of those things will make the win feel even more special."
Support from Home
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer extended pub opening hours for the match, which kicks off late in the UK. Kane expressed gratitude to fans. "Absolutely! Obviously good news that the pubs are staying open for the fans. We know how much the World Cup means to everyone and all the fans at home. So I'm hoping there will be a few all-nighters to be honest, just going all the way through, and celebrating until the next day and then catch up on some sleep after that."
He added, "Obviously it's very late and we all appreciate the support. That's what sometimes makes the World Cup unique, is these different timings and different memories that you create. I think everyone would love nothing more than to be celebrating as the sun's rising at 5, 6am."
Should England overcome Mexico, they will book their spot in the World Cup quarter-finals for the third successive tournament, a feat that would undoubtedly spark nationwide celebrations.
