Harry Kane has insisted England are ready to “write their own history” at the Aztec Stadium. Forty years ago, Diego Maradona’s infamous Hand of God goal eliminated Argentina from the World Cup in Mexico City.
Kane actually met the late Maradona nine years ago and has different memories of English football’s worst enemy. But Kane is still hungry and determined to see England enjoy a win, this time against the co-hosts in Mexico City.
England captain Kane said: “Mexico is going to be special, the atmosphere, the fans, the stadium itself – the final round of the World Cup.”
“When you think about the big World Cup games, this is probably the biggest game in terms of atmosphere and we’re really looking forward to the experience.
“It’s a historic stadium for many reasons. As an Englishman it’s hard to accept, especially after that game, but that was a long time ago, 40 years ago.”
“It’s about writing our own history. We know we have a chance to do something really special away from home in a special stadium. There’s nothing better than that feeling when you win a tough away game. It’s not about the past, it’s about what we can do in the future. We have a great opportunity to have a special night on Sunday.”
Kane recalled meeting Maradona in October 2017, when the former Argentina star was a guest at Wembley for a Tottenham game, playing a home game at the new National Stadium, which was under construction.
The video resurfaced this week after Maradona appeared to give Kane finishing hints, exchanging small talk and jokes rather than the hand of God. Kane said: “We didn’t talk about that game. To be honest, it’s a game that a lot of Brits don’t want to talk about. He was great when I met him. He was a really good player.”
“We spoke very little. There was a clip of him talking about me finishing and looking at the keeper. It’s actually a pretty great clip.”
Harry Kane wants to captain England at the World Cup (Image: Getty Images)
Kane also hopes that England’s win against the Democratic Republic of Congo could be a turning point, as England have not played their best for most of the competition but found a way to win.
Kane added: “I’ve talked in other tournaments about peaking at the right time, and that’s really important. It’s rare to see a team come out of the gate hot and maintain it until the end. It happens, but it’s very rare.”
“Tournament football is all about getting used to each other. A lot of us play for different clubs so it’s important that we understand each other’s game and you’ll hope that that connection builds even more and grows stronger as the tournament progresses.”
“What you learn in football tournaments is that there’s not always a perfect way to win.Of course we want to play a great game.
Kane was England’s savior at the World Cup (Image: Getty Images)
“We want to play our style of attacking football and get clean sheets and things like that, but at the same time we are playing at home, we are playing for pride and we are playing against a team who are playing for qualification to the next round of the World Cup.
“It’s not always that simple. You might have to try. You might have to find the hard way to win. I think we’ve all been in the locker room finding ways to win.”
“Once we get through that, we’ll be even more united, especially in the environment we’re going into. We’ll prepare like we prepare for every game. We’ll be ready. There’s no excuses on our side. We’re ready to step up to the challenge.”
“It’s going to be a really tough game for a lot of reasons. First of all, they’re a really good team. So far they’ve had a great World Cup. They’re a great team.”
“We’re at that stage of the tournament right now and once the ball is rolling and things are going well, we know we can do it, but that’s our peak period. So there’s no excuses in a game like this. We know it’s going to be tough.”
“We know we might have to try. We might have to find a different way to win. But that’s what the World Cup is about. I think everyone is looking forward to the opportunity, the stadium, the atmosphere and ultimately being in those games.”
“That’s why you train like we do. That’s why you play football, to play these epic matches. Especially sometimes when you’re away from home and that atmosphere makes you even more hungry to prove yourself.”
“I think you’ll see that in Sunday’s game. If we can get through that, we’ll have more momentum heading into the quarterfinals.”
England face big test at Aztecs (Image: Getty Images)
The nation will definitely have reason to celebrate if England defeat Mexico and book their place in the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the third time in a row. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had extended pub opening hours even before FIFA intervened in the kick-off time for the last-16 clash between England and Mexico.
But Kane said the whole squad was keen for their home fans to enjoy an unforgettable victory over Mexico at Azteca Stadium. Asked if England wanted this to be a night to remember, Kane said: “Of course! It’s obviously good news that the pubs will stay open for the fans.”
“We know how much the World Cup means to everyone and all the fans at home, so to be honest, I’m hoping we’ll have a few all-nighters, get through to the end, celebrate until the next day, and then get some sleep.”
“Obviously, it’s very late, but we all appreciate the support. That’s what makes the World Cup unique sometimes. It’s these different timings and different memories that are created. I don’t think there’s anything that everyone would enjoy more than celebrating the sun coming up at 5, 6 in the morning.”
Harry Kane celebrates England’s victory over Democratic Republic of Congo with Thomas Tuchel (Image: Getty Images)
England must understand the Aztec Stadium before they turn their attention to celebrations. Mexico have a formidable record at home and also play at Azteca Stadium, 7,200 feet above sea level, but Kane insists the whole team can reach heights.
“There’s not much we can do with high altitude training. We did 10 days of heat training in Florida to acclimate. It was almost impossible to prepare for high altitude unless you stayed in Mexico the whole time or were based in Mexico for 10 days,” he said.
“Logically, that would have been great for the rest of the tournament. It wouldn’t have been worth it. It would have been a big topic and it would have made a small difference. But we are professional athletes and sometimes you have to deal with adversity.”
“We’re doing the best we can with the little hints. We have to deal with this problem. There’s no other way around it. If we can get through it, all of that will make the win even more special.”
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