{"id":7679,"date":"2026-07-04T16:35:26","date_gmt":"2026-07-04T16:35:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/07\/04\/england-vs-mexico-at-azteca-kickoff-altitude-and-weather-explained\/"},"modified":"2026-07-04T16:35:26","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T16:35:26","slug":"england-vs-mexico-at-azteca-kickoff-altitude-and-weather-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/07\/04\/england-vs-mexico-at-azteca-kickoff-altitude-and-weather-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"England vs Mexico at Azteca: Kickoff, altitude and weather explained"},"content":{"rendered":"<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p>Minutes after England survived a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/7\/1\/kane-double-fires-england-to-comeback-win-over-dr-congo-at-world-cup-2026\">World Cup scare against DR Congo<\/a> to squeeze into the round of 16, the focus shifted to what\u2019s next for the Three Lions.<\/p>\n<p>But it was not the threat of the in-form Mexico team that made the most noise, but the challenge of playing at the Azteca Stadium, the iconic football venue that can take your breath away, quite literally.<\/p>\n<section>\n<h2>Recommended Stories <\/h2>\n<p><span>list of 3 items<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span>list 1 of 3<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/7\/4\/fifa-world-cup-round-of-16-match-schedule-which-teams-qualified\">Which teams are in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16, and what\u2019s the schedule?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>list 2 of 3<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/7\/4\/messi-scores-again-but-argentina-given-world-cup-upset-fright-by-cape-verde\">Messi scores again but Argentina given World Cup upset fright by Cape Verde<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>list 3 of 3<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/7\/4\/ahead-of-morocco-vs-canada-at-the-world-cup-comparisons-arise-with-the-2022-team\">Can the youthful Morocco of 2026 surpass the acclaimed darlings of 2022?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>The Mexico vs England match on Sunday evening in Mexico City is the most talked-about fixture of this knockout round, with the discussion ranging from the change in kickoff time to the high altitude posing a huge challenge and the risk of adverse weather.<\/p>\n<p>Al Jazeera breaks down the possible impact of those things on England\u2019s chances of reaching the quarterfinals:<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-time-is-england-vs-mexico\">What time is England vs Mexico?<\/h2>\n<p>The match will kick off at 6pm on Sunday in Mexico City, which is 1am on Monday in London (00:00 GMT).<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"why-did-fifa-consider-changing-the-england-vs-mexico-kickoff-time\">Why did FIFA consider changing the England vs Mexico kickoff time?<\/h2>\n<p>On Friday, media reports in the United Kingdom and Mexico said governing body FIFA was planning to move the kickoff at the Azteca Stadium from 6pm local time to midday due to concerns over forecast storms and flooding in Mexico City on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>But FIFA decided to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/7\/4\/england-vs-mexico-world-cup-knockout-match-to-go-ahead-as-scheduled\">stick with the scheduled time<\/a>, as bringing the Mexico vs England game forward would have also meant delaying Brazil vs Norway on the same day in New York\/New Jersey.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"why-is-mexico-city-one-of-the-toughest-world-cup-venues\">Why is Mexico City one of the toughest World Cup venues?<\/h2>\n<p>The 80,000-odd capacity Azteca Stadium, the largest in Latin America, is a fortress-like home of cohosts Mexico, who have lost just two of their 89 competitive games there.<\/p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/OptaAnalyst\/status\/2073032123741573455\">stats provider Opta<\/a>, Mexico are unbeaten in their last 22 competitive matches there (W16 D6), but the average FIFA Ranking of those opponents is just 57.<\/p>\n<p>The venue of the 1970 and 1986 World Cup finals, the Azteca Stadium holds particular historical significance for England, who are playing there for the first time since a controversial 2-1 quarterfinal defeat by Argentina at the 1986 World Cup, famous for Diego Maradona\u2019s \u201cHand of God\u201d goal.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3898976\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3898976\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-52952754-1755679888.jpg?w=770&#038;resize=770%2C516&#038;quality=80\" alt=\"Diego Maradona of Argentina handles the ball past Peter Shilton of England to score the opening goal of the World Cup Quarter Final\" fetchpriority=\"low\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3898976\">Diego Maradona of Argentina handles the ball past Peter Shilton of England to score the opening goal of the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City [File: Bongarts]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"is-mexico-city-at-a-high-altitude\">Is Mexico City at a high altitude?<\/h2>\n<p>The pitch in Mexico City sits 2,240 metres (7,350 feet) above sea level. At that altitude, the air is thinner, meaning each breath delivers less oxygen to the body, and the ball travels faster and farther.<\/p>\n<p>By contrast, the Atlanta Stadium, where England beat DR Congo 2-1 on Wednesday, is just over 300 metres (984 feet) above sea level.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-has-thomas-tuchel-said-about-mexico-city-s-altitude\">What has Thomas Tuchel said about Mexico City\u2019s altitude?<\/h2>\n<p>England manager Tuchel was asked about the challenge of playing at the Azteca shortly after they won against DR Congo.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is maybe one of the most beautiful fixtures, the most exciting fixtures that you can have, to play against Mexico in the Azteca,\u201d Tuchel said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd there will be 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\u2019s just impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With the 2026 World Cup being held across the United States, Canada and Mexico, teams have a tight turnaround between games. The England squad travelled to Mexico City on Friday, reaching one day earlier than the norm, but it will not be enough to acclimatise to the unique conditions in the city.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe recommendation is you either go 10 days before, which is too long for us, or last minute, which is not allowed,\u201d Tuchel added.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4732599\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4732599\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-07-01T181658Z_1846036448_UP1EM711EB7ZN_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-WORLDCUP-ENG-COD-1783147121.jpg?w=770&#038;resize=770%2C508&#038;quality=80\" alt=\"Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Round of 32 - England v DR Congo - Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. - July 1, 2026 England manager Thomas Tuchel celebrates after the match as England qualify for the round of 16 stage of the World Cup REUTERS\/Claudia Greco TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY\" fetchpriority=\"low\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4732599\">Tuchel is hoping to lead his side to their second World Cup title [Claudia Greco\/Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Mexico City\u2019s elevation impairs aerobic capacity because less oxygen is physically dissolved in the blood, making it harder for the body to push oxygen into the cells.<\/p>\n<p>For footballers, it means increased heart rate, shortness of breath, dehydration, quicker and more intense fatigue and delayed recovery.<\/p>\n<p>There is also the matter of the football itself. The thinner air means less resistance, changing the speed and flight of passes and shots.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt will fly maybe five yards [metres] more. It\u2019s just difficult,\u201d Tuchel explained, talking about the movement of the ball.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"will-england-be-at-a-disadvantage-against-mexico\">Will England be at a disadvantage against Mexico?<\/h2>\n<p>Yes.<\/p>\n<p>While England don\u2019t have enough time to adapt physiologically before the knockout tie, cohosts Mexico are accustomed to living and training at altitude and have played three of their four World Cup games at the Azteca. They won all three, beating the likes of South Africa and Czechia in the group stage and Ecuador in the last-32.<\/p>\n<p>While the venue will be physically demanding for all players, it will be particularly difficult for goalkeepers, who could struggle to deal with the spin or flight of the ball, be it shots at goal or crosses in the box.<\/p>\n<p>England striker Marcus Rashford, though, brushed aside suggestions that the altitude and atmosphere could prove decisive.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a game of football. We\u2019ve all \u2060been playing football since we were kids and we\u2019ve played in different environments, different atmospheres \u2026 It\u2019s up to us to try and find a way to come out on top, and that\u2019s what the focus is,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have to work together and try to bring as close to our best as we \u2060can, and we\u2019ll be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4721200\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4721200\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AFP__20260701__B8V998Q__v2__HighRes__TopshotFblWc2026Match79MexEcu-1782879926.jpg?w=770&#038;resize=770%2C510&#038;quality=80\" alt=\"Mexico's Raul Jimenez celebrates scoring his team's second goal with Julian Quinones (Yuri Cortez\/AFP)\" fetchpriority=\"low\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4721200\">Mexico\u2019s Raul Jimenez, left, and Julian Quinones scored in the last game to send their team to the World Cup Round of 16 [Yuri Cortez\/AFP]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"are-there-any-short-term-solutions\">Are there any short-term solutions?<\/h2>\n<p>Tuchel could change his tactics to keep up with the testing conditions.<\/p>\n<p>England could opt to slow down their playing style against Mexico to allow the players time to recover between periods of high-intensity play.<\/p>\n<p>They would likely want to keep possession, save energy and press forward when the right opportunity arises.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Minutes after England survived a World Cup scare against DR Congo to squeeze into the round of 16, the focus shifted to what\u2019s next for the Three Lions. But it was not the threat of the in-form Mexico team that made the most noise, but the challenge of playing at the Azteca Stadium, the iconic &#8230; <a title=\"England vs Mexico at Azteca: Kickoff, altitude and weather explained\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/07\/04\/england-vs-mexico-at-azteca-kickoff-altitude-and-weather-explained\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about England vs Mexico at Azteca: Kickoff, altitude and weather explained\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7680,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7679","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7679","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7679"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7679\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7680"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7679"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7679"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7679"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}