Several experts give their opinions on England vs. Mexico in the World Cup finals.
England can qualify for the World Cup quarter-finals if they beat Mexico (Image: Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
England will qualify for the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals with victory over Mexico in the early hours of Monday. The Three Lions play at the Azteca Stadium, where their country has lost just two of their 89 games.
In addition to Mexico’s impressive home record, the match will be played at 2,240 meters above sea level, which will push England’s players to their physical limits. The winner of this match will face the winner of Sunday night’s battle between Brazil and Norway.
Five experts have predicted the outcome of the finals, and there are many opinions on the possibility of England vs. Mexico.
clinton morrison
The former Crystal Palace hero urged England to step up, especially against Mexico in the highlands, but admitted he believed in the Three Lions to win on enemy soil. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said: “That’s not true. They haven’t lost there, right? They’ve got home fans, they’ve got the altitude and England will struggle with that.”
“It’s going to be difficult conditions and Mexico are a good team. We saw Mexico blow away Ecuador. England will have to raise their level because Mexico have players who can cause a lot of problems. I still think England can go there and beat Mexico – without a doubt – but this will be their toughest test yet.”
roy keene
Roy Keane believes England will beat Mexico (Image: YouTube: The Overlap)
The former Manchester United captain has been in talks with Gary Neville about the possibility of representing England in Mexico City, and although Neville did not explicitly back his country’s victory, the Irishman was extremely confident in Thomas Tuchel’s side.
Keane declared on ITV: “I think they beat Mexico on Monday, but when you get through against the likes of Brazil and Argentina, that’s when the problems really start. If they play the way they’ve been playing, it’s against those teams that they’ll be stuck.”
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“I don’t think England still have a lot of work to do. That’s why I say they can get to home. They’ve got some world-class players coming in, but there’s a limit to how far they can go. I don’t think England have the gear to go further.”
alan shearer
Alan Shearer backs England’s victory in Mexico City (Image: The Rest is Football/Netflix )
Manager Alan Shearer has told manager Thomas Tuchel that some changes may be necessary to counter the danger of Mexico’s attacking star. But the Newcastle icon admitted he expects the Three Lions to beat the co-hosts to reach the quarter-finals.
Shearer said in his column for the BBC: “I expect England to win, but Thomas Tuchel has to make some decisions about his squad. Whoever plays at right-back will have to deal with Julian Quinones, one of Mexico’s dangerous men who has scored three goals so far in the World Cup.”
“Tuchel could have more defensive stability there if he played with Jed Spence, but that would probably lead to England losing a little bit more from now on. Whoever plays, that’s an area to watch. The same goes for the wingers, and he keeps changing players there.”
Gabby Agbonlahor
The three-time England international believes the game will be close, but will be rooting for his country to get a result in extra time. He told talkSPORT: “I think we won with a hard-fought goal in extra time.” Regarding England’s path in the final stages, he added: “I’m not scared of Brazil. I think they beat Brazil. I think they will lose to Argentina. They just know how to win.”
Jason Cundy
The former Chelsea and Tottenham star said England had no choice but to beat Mexico in order to end 60 years of hurt and dream of finally winning the World Cup title again. Cundy pointed out to talkSPORT colleague Jamie O’Hara that Mexico’s impressive home performance may not be as dominant as it seems.
Kandi explained: “I agree with you, but what I don’t want to do is sit there on Monday and use that as an excuse. Let’s go out there and beat them. I know it’s going to be tough, but there’s a reason why their record is so good. The level of opponents (they beat).”
“If you’re going to win the World Cup, it’s going to be tough, but you have to do this. You have to overcome these hurdles.”
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