Ahead of Mexico vs England at the Azteca, we look at six players whose performances could play a big part in deciding whether the World Cup co-hosts or the Three Lions advance to the quarter-finals.
We are getting into the really interesting part of the World Cup as the round of 16 begins this weekend, including a particularly intriguing game between Mexico and England at the Estadio Azteca.
If you’re based in Europe, this game will come in the wee hours of Monday morning. The schools are hopefully going to be understanding of sleepy children the next day, the pubs are staying open, and you may find your commute to work a little quieter than usual on Monday.
In Mexico, though, we can only imagine what the atmosphere will be like.
The Opta supercomputer successfully predicted before the World Cup that this would be a last-16 match, and now that it’s here, let’s be honest, it feels like potentially a real World Cup classic.
We have already looked at potential subplots that could decide the game, and now we have selected six specific players who will likely have a big say in which of these two teams makes it to the quarter-finals.
Let’s start with three from Mexico, who have looked strong at the World Cup to this point.
Julián Quiñones
The very first goal of the 2026 World Cup arrived via the right boot of Raúl Jiménez has two goals at this World Cup, scoring against South Africa and Ecuador, and his physicality and general nuisance factor will be a test for what has looked like a wobbly England backline.
He is, of course, a familiar face for the Three Lions’ defence, and will be tasked with giving them a tough time.
The 35-year-old striker will be lining up for Wolves in the Championship next season, but in 2025-26 he was still at Fulham, and played five times in total against either Ezri Konsa or Marc Guéhi in the Premier League.
But how did he get on against them?
Jiménez played against Guéhi three times in the league last season. In his first game against Crystal Palace, he assisted Fulham’s solitary goal – a stunning move on the edge of the box that led to Harry Wilson scoring one of the best goals of the season, but then Guéhi made up for it by scoring the winner for the Eagles. In the return fixture less than a month later, Jiménez didn’t score but had four shots, only having more in four other Premier League games last season.
Guéhi moved to Manchester City in January, and came up against Jiménez once more in February. The striker recorded a personal xG of 0.56 the Etihad, and though he didn’t score – City won 3-0 – it was his fourth-highest single-game xG in the Premier League last season of the 32 matches in which he didn’t take a penalty.
Jiménez scored against Konsa’s Aston Villa with a header from a corner at Villa Park, though Konsa wasn’t the one tasked with marking him, and he was limited to just one shot in 66 minutes in the reverse fixture in April.
Of course, this doesn’t tell us a great deal. Guéhi and Konsa were not solely responsible for stopping Jiménez in those games, but between them, they will have to find a way to stop him here, assuming Thomas Tuchel doesn’t opt for John Stones, as he did in England’s opener against Croatia.
Also, international football is not the same as club football. Roles, instructions, teammates and form are all different, but with potent attacking partners in Quiñones and Alvarado, Jiménez’s ability to occupy defenders could be the key to Javier Aguirre’s side getting through England.
Gilberto Mora
Arguably the most intriguing player – and the one most England fans will be interested to see – is Jude Bellingham was going to start for England at this World Cup.
The Real Madrid midfielder has more than justified Tuchel’s selection of him; surely only Harry Kane can otherwise be in the conversation for the Three Lions’ best performer so far at the tournament.
Bellingham has two goals to his name, against Croatia and Panama, but it has been his all-round game that has dragged England through on more than one occasion.
Only Kane (18) has attempted more shots for England than Bellingham (9), while only Elliot Anderson (25) has won possession more often than him (17).
Bellingham has also won possession in the opposition’s final third four times, at least twice more than any of his teammates.
It was his driving run forward that led to Kane’s winner against DR Congo, too. Anderson found him with a pass and Bellingham raced into the box and forced a save, which led to the ball coming to Anthony Gordon and eventually Kane to slam in the crucial goal.
At altitude – the Azteca is around 2,240 metres above sea level – England will need their fittest players to carry plenty of the load, and Bellingham’s all-action style will be tested in the conditions.
However, the spirit he shows on the biggest stage will be invaluable to his team, and in a hostile environment, his experience of El Clásico could come in very handy indeed.
Harry Kane
Imagine not including Harry Edward Kane in this list.
The man who is pretty much the entire reason England are still in this World Cup,
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