England’s landscape does not lack heterogeneity, except for mountains. On Sunday, it is precisely what they will have to climb if they are to reach the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup by beating Mexico.
The first is literal. The Estadio Azteca sits 2,240 metres above sea level, though quality can compensate for it. The second is historical. In their last World Cup fixture at the Azteca, England lost 2-1 to Argentina, and on that occasion the mountain was Diego Armando Maradona, his 5’5″ frame, and the hand which made him a god. It might not induce the same dread among the current crop. The third is statistical. Mexico have never lost a World Cup match at the Azteca and own a remarkable 78.65 percent win rate at the stadium. Knockout football, though, has never cared much for probabilities.
And then comes the steepest climb of them all: Mexico’s defence.
The conversation around Javier Aguirre’s side has revolved around teenage sensation Gilberto Mora, Julián Quiñones’ flair and Raúl Jiménez’s renaissance. Yet Aguirre’s team has neither the flair in front of goal of a France nor the savagery of a Spain, ranking 12th on expected goals and 25th on possession control. It begs an obvious question: how have they had a flawless campaign so far? Sir Alex Ferguson’s adage has rarely felt more appropriate: “Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles.”
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After 386 minutes of football, Mexico’s defensive record stands untainted, zero goals conceded across four matches, four clean sheets, a run that has also ended a 40-year wait for a World Cup knockout win. Since Italy in 1990, only one nation, Switzerland in 2006, had previously opened a World Cup with four consecutive shutouts, and the Swiss did not win all four of those games. Mexico have not only joined them, but bettered them.
Upon closer inspection, the achievement is built not around individual brilliance but collective effort. Namely:
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The CDM: Erik Lira
It begins with him. Aguirre’s 4-1-2-3 morphs into two distinct units: four defenders behind the ball, five attackers ahead of it. And between them, the conductor, Erik Lira. His primary role is to lead Aguirre’s effective low-block system, by cutting off passing lanes. He proved his mettle in the opener itself, forcing the most turnovers against South Africa. What makes him unique, though, is his work rate. Lira covered 11.87 kilometres against South Korea and another 11.62 against Ecuador, the highest figures on the pitch in both matches, a rare feat for a holding midfielder. In Mexico, people have started calling him the “man of kilometres.” Justifiably so.
The full-backs: Jorge Sánchez and Jesús Gallardo
With his father absent, Jorge Sánchez grew up in poverty. “I didn’t have a piece of furniture to sit on. Those difficult moments forged me,” he once said. The first furniture in the family home was bought with his football wages. Sánchez, meanwhile, runs before he sits. The right-back stood first in sprint distance in two of Mexico’s four matches, against Czechia and Ecuador. In another game, against South Korea, he was second in total distance covered.
England’s biggest worry would be Mexican defensive line at World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match. (AP)
On the opposite flank, Gallardo offers almost the inverse profile, perhaps a reason the pair complement one another seamlessly. At 31, after a decade of national service, Gallardo’s legs no longer allow him to run as much as his compatriots. Experience has compensated for mileage. He played an instrumental role in Quiñones’ opener against Ecuador, and in the last two seasons of Liga MX, no defender has recorded more assists than him.
The centre-backs: César Montes and Johan Vásquez
Comparatively weaker teams focusing on a midfield chokehold and forcing opponents to go wide has been a consistent pattern in this tournament. England know it better than most, having faced it against DR Congo, where Declan Rice’s cross proved their saviour. Should he attempt something similar against Mexico, he will find El Tri’s 6’3″ giant, César Montes, waiting. Montes is Mexico’s slowest outfield player, but makes up for it with his supremacy in the air. Last season, only one player in the Russian Premier League recorded more headed clearances than him.
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Completing the set is Johan Vásquez. One of only four Mexican players currently featuring in one of Europe’s top five leagues, Vásquez has shone at Genoa despite a language barrier, largely because of his ability to read the game. He stood joint-fifth in interceptions in the 2025-26 Serie A season.
A five-man gauntlet, each with their own strengths. Five distinct qualities, but one collective identity.
Should Mexico preserve that record for one more evening, Miami awaits, a city that has spent this World Cup summer under its own tensions, ICE protests led largely by Mexican residents, even as the tournament’s co-host nation builds a wall of its own on the southern border. England will have to find a way past a defensive wall of a different kind first.
