England will not be intimidated by the Azteca Stadium or Mexico’s remarkable home record, according to Alan Shearer, who believes the players will embrace every challenge thrown at them.
Shearer argues that once the players cross that famous white line, all the external noise surrounding the occasion will fade away completely.
“All the talk stops when they run out anyway, and if they play the game rather than the occasion then I think they will win,” the former striker said.
He acknowledges the fixture presents unique difficulties, including the altitude, the electric atmosphere, and a crowd expected to be around 80% Mexican supporters.
However, Shearer insists that for any professional footballer, these are precisely the stages they have spent their entire careers preparing for, with a World Cup quarter-final place at stake.
He revealed that he has wanted to visit the Azteca since watching the 1986 World Cup on television as a teenager, noting this is England’s first return since that iconic and painful defeat to Argentina in the quarter-finals.
England have enjoyed strong crowd support throughout the tournament in the United States, with roughly 75% of fans backing them in Atlanta during the DR Congo match, making Mexico City a very different proposition.
Shearer, who will be co-commentating alongside Guy Mowbray, dismissed concerns about potential disruptions such as fireworks or car horns outside team hotels, pointing out that similar disturbances can occur before Premier League matches without derailing preparations.
Mexico’s record of just two competitive home defeats in 89 matches at the Azteca since 1966 deserves respect, but Shearer suggested the quality of opposition they have faced in those games should temper how impressive that statistic truly is.
Thomas Tuchel faces selection dilemmas out wide, with Julian Quinones posing a significant threat on Mexico’s left flank after scoring three goals at this World Cup, forcing a decision between defensive solidity and attacking threat at right-back.
Shearer believes Anthony Gordon did enough coming off the bench against DR Congo to earn a starting berth on the left wing, though he remains undecided between Noni Madueke and Bukayo Saka for the right-sided role.
One area where Shearer would make no changes is central midfield, insisting Declan Rice must not be deployed at right-back despite finishing the Congo game there, given the balance he provides alongside Elliot Anderson and Jude Bellingham.
England must also improve their tempo from kick-off, with Shearer warning that falling behind against this Mexican side in this stadium would make any kind of comeback extremely difficult to achieve.
Looking at the wider tournament picture, Shearer praised Cape Verde for their extraordinary performances against Spain and Argentina, while maintaining that France remain the team most likely to lift the trophy.
He is sticking with Kylian Mbappe as his Golden Boot favourite but hopes Harry Kane can push him all the way, ideally beginning with a couple of goals against Mexico in what promises to be a spectacular occasion.
