England’s stunning victory over Mexico has changed everything, and even the sceptics have been converted into true believers by that extraordinary performance.
Alan Shearer has admitted he genuinely did not think England could win the World Cup before the game at the Azteca Stadium, but that result has completely transformed his outlook.
“We might actually be able to win this thing,” Shearer said, a sentiment he believes is shared by every fan and player connected with the squad right now.
The former England striker drew on his own playing career to put the moment into context, recalling the famous 4-1 victory over the Netherlands at Euro 96 as a comparable turning point.
“I was thinking, ‘we can go all the way’ and that’s exactly how the England squad will be feeling now too, on the back of such an incredible result when everything was against them,” Shearer said.
England fell short in 1996 at the semi-final stage, but Shearer believes this current generation has every reason to go at least one step further thirty years on.
Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham delivered once again with their goals against Mexico, but Shearer highlighted the collective contribution as the most important aspect of the win.
Shearer, who was present at the Azteca, described it as the best team performance he has ever seen from any England side in his lifetime, particularly away from home.
The dressing room celebrations afterwards added to the feel-good factor, with John Stones memorably pretending to be injured before breaking into a dance with his teammates.
Thomas Tuchel’s reaction to the prank also caught the eye, and Shearer believes moments like that reveal the genuine togetherness that exists within this squad and its manager.
England now face Norway in Miami, a very different challenge, but Shearer is convinced Tuchel’s side have demonstrated an adaptability that sets them apart from other nations at this tournament.
Unlike Spain, who dominate possession, or Argentina, who were built around Lionel Messi, England have simply played the game in front of them and adjusted their approach accordingly.
The major obstacle standing between England and a place in the semi-finals is Erling Haaland, and Shearer is under no illusions about the scale of that challenge.
Brazil discovered how dangerous Haaland can be when he scored twice to knock them out, and Shearer acknowledged that restricting his supply is the only realistic way to limit him.
Some of the England defenders likely to face Haaland, including Marc Guehi, Nico O’Reilly and John Stones, are his club teammates at Manchester City, though Shearer does not believe familiarity makes much difference.
“He is world class, and pretty much the perfect centre-forward but you could say the same thing about Kane too,” Shearer said, setting up what could be a thrilling Golden Boot battle between the two strikers.
