“We have the chance to do the impossible.”
After Mexico brushed aside Ecuador to reach the last 16 of the World Cup, some of their celebrating fans already had an eye on their potential next opponents.
England face a difficult test in their last-32 tie with DR Congo later on Wednesday but, should they overcome that, it will not get any easier.
That is because next up would be a match with Mexico at the iconic Azteca Stadium – a mouthwatering fixture for many football fans, but a daunting one for England supporters.
Mexico have never got beyond the quarter-finals of the World Cup, but their impressive displays at this tournament – four games, four wins, eight goals scored and no goals conceded – have their fans dreaming of what could be.
“England have the Ballon d’Or favourite Harry Kane leading that team,” one fan said.
“You have players like Jude Bellingham, and it is scary, but with the momentum we have there is the chance to do the impossible.”
Based on their performances at this World Cup and their record at the Azteca, Mexico going far should not feel like an impossible target.
Their competitive record at this stadium is 70 wins from 89 games, with 17 draws and only two defeats. They are also unbeaten in 10 World Cup games there.
Admittedly, the opposition they have faced at the Azteca is not always of the highest quality but, nevertheless, it will be a daunting task for whoever faces them in the last 16.
“The whole nation is behind them – we’ve seen the scenes,” former Australia and Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou said on ITV.
“If it will be England going down to Mexico, it’s going to be like stepping into a different World Cup for them.”
‘A great year to be Mexican’
In many ways, the scene was set in the build-up to the game as lightning streaked across the sky on a rainy evening in Mexico, with the weather delaying kick-off by an hour.
That seemed to suit Mexico, who came roaring out of the blocks immediately after the game got under way.
Julian Quinones opened the scoring with a stunning strike before Raul Jimenez added a second, and the damage was ultimately done before the break.
The full-time whistle prompted wild scenes of celebration – not just in Mexico but also cities like Los Angeles, which has a huge Mexican population and where fireworks greeted the final whistle.
Thousands of Mexico fans had gathered at a watch party in the heart of downtown LA, and many spoke of their excitement and belief in this team.
“This is by far the best performance we have seen from the Mexican team in a long time. It is a great year to be Mexican and a great year to see the World Cup,” one fan told BBC World Service.
“For them to even top the group was nowhere near the vicinity of thinking. This is happening right now.”
Another supporter said: “You’ve seen the energy of the players evolve through the tournament.
“There are players now who were getting called out for making mistakes but are now playing amazing. It is great just to see this team and players like they are so connected.”
‘A daunting task’ in last 16
It is not just the arena that England or DR Congo would need to be wary of, but also Mexico’s players.
They will already be familiar with Wolves striker Jimenez, but Quinones has also been a star at this tournament.
The 29-year-old striker, who plays for Al-Qadsiah in Saudia Arabia, scored the opener against Ecuador with a blistering strike that gave the goalkeeper no chance to take his tally at this World Cup to three goals in four games.
Mexico also have one of the most exciting teenagers at this tournament in Gilberto Mora, who, at 17 years and 259 days, became the second-youngest player to start a World Cup knockout match, behind only Pele in 1958 (17 yrs, 239 days).
Meanwhile, no-one has managed to break down a defence that has faced only six shots on target in four games.
“Disciplined, skilled, tenacious – there are so many things we can say about Mexico,” former Nigeria striker Efan Ekoku said on BBC Radio 5 Live.
“When a home side is playing like that, it’s so hard to stop. They are going to be so difficult to play against in the round of 16. It will be a daunting task.
“That was one of the best performances that I’ve seen from a Mexico side in a while.”
The long-awaited ‘quinto partido’
Mexico fans will be feeling that this could well be the year they lift the World Cup for the first time, particularly after something that will have felt like a long-time curse has been broken.
That is ‘quinto partido’ – Spanish for the fifth game.
Mexico hosted the World Cup in 1970 and 1986 and reached the quarter-finals in both, but in every tournament after that up to 2018 they have been beaten in their fourth game. In 2022 they failed to get out of their group.
Now they have secured that long-elusive fifth game at a World Cup – win that and their fans will truly start to believe that this side could become winners of the tournament.
