England greeted by rowdy Mexican fans outside hotel in Mexico City, 1970 World Cup was Gordon Banks poisoned by the CIA?, Diego Maradona Hand of God goal

England received a not so friendly welcome to Mexico City as they prepare to take on the World Cup co-hosts at the famous Stadio Azteca in the Round of 16 on Monday morning.

Thomas Tuchel’s team were given a police escort to their hotel where they were greeted by loud Mexican supporters, who will do their best to cause as much disruption as possible to the world No.4.

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England’s Football Association hoped to keep the location of the team hotel in the Mexican capital a secret, but that quickly went out the window with local journalists allegedly sharing the location before the England squad had touched down 48 hours prior to kick-off.

Before Mexico’s 2-0 Round of 32 win against Ecuador, local fans gathered outside the South American team’s hotel to create as much noise as possible during the night.

They beeped car horns, banged drums and let off fireworks in their efforts to make the Ecuadorians sleep-deprived.

There is now a massive police presence outside the England hotel to try prevent their players suffering the same fate.

Sky Sports’ Rob Dorsett reported from outside the hotel on Saturday evening UK time and said: “I have never seen anything like it.”

“This is a six lane motorway that the police have had to cordon off,” he continued.

“Four lanes are now cleared for the police to keep the fans safely at a distance.

“The FA wanted to keep this team hotel a secret. They didn’t want anyone to know where they were going to be.

“Look at the number of police, some of them armed, ready to deal with any big crowds that may come here.”

He added: “I have never seen anything like it. Any of the England players looking out of their windows will be able to see this.”

“They are bound to be nervous seeing this. They will have never seen anything like this in their lives.”

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In a recent interview, England midfielder Morgan Rogers said: “I won’t be happy if it wakes me up – I’ll be honest.

“We’ll see how it goes but we’ll deal with it as best as possible. It’s just another obstacle to overcome but we’re ready.”

However, BBC’s Mexico, Central America and Cuba correspondent Will Grant said that the atmosphere was largely good spirited.

“Beyond the ring of steel though were a few hundred mainly Mexican fans hoping to either catch a glimpse of their favourite stars from English football or boo them on their way to training,” he said.

“There was a smattering of England fans among them trying – and failing – to drown out the opponents. It’s worth stressing, though, that it was all pretty good natured. “Mexicans pride themselves on being good hosts, and some came up to me after the coach left to make sure we understood that England and English fans are very welcome in their city.”

Many English people will be relieved to here that because they have had a troubled relationship, to put it lightly, with the three-time World Cup host.

“Mexico: where England’s World Cup hopes have twice before gone to die in some of the most dramatic circumstances in the national team’s history,” The Telegraph’s chief football writer Sam Wallace wrote.

England were knocked out in the quarter-finals by West Germany in 1970, but the madness surrounding their campaign beggars belief.

The defending champions’ captain, Bobby Moore, was arrested in Colombia on the eve of the tournament as he was accused of stealing a diamond and emerald bracelet from a jewellery store in a Bogota hotel.

After being detained for four days, Moore was released and cleared as it was revealed the shop assistant fabricated their testimony.

But that was maybe not the most wild story from that tournament for England.

There is a widespread theory that English goalkeeper Gordon Banks was poisoned by the CIA.

Banks, who stood between the posts when England won the World Cup four years earlier, missed the quarter-final after falling ill.

A recent podcast, ‘Foul Play’, with Banks’ grandson Ed Jervis and journalist Gabriel Gatehouse explored the theory that Banks’ mystery illness was the result of American intervention to boost Brazil’s chances of winning the tournament.

The US-installed regime in Brazil was dealing with mass protests at the time in response to censorship, round-ups, imprisonment and torture.

When Pele did lift the World Cup trophy that year, it helped ease domestic tensions.

While that is only a theory, there is no denying perhaps the cruellest moment in England football history in 1986 – Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’.

Argentina won that quarter-final 2-1 with tensions between the two countries at an all-time high given the Falklands War.

The chaos time around could come from the weather.

Forecast thunderstorms have a big chance of causing delays given the tournament’s rules about not playing when lightning is nearby.

England will be hoping nothing more crazy than that is thrown their way.

MEXICO BOSS PLAYS DOWN ALTITUDE FACTOR

Mexico coach Javier Aguirre played down the Estadio Azteca altitude factor ahead of Sunday’s World Cup last-16 clash with England, saying it would come down to “11 v 11”.

The co-hosts take on Thomas Tuchel’s team in Mexico City, with much of the pre-match talk centred on the tough challenge for the visitors.

The pitch sits 2,240 metres (7,350 feet) above sea level. At that altitude, air is thinner, meaning each breath delivers less oxygen to the body and the ball travels faster and farther.

Mexico are not among the favourites to win the World Cup but they boast a frightening record at the iconic Azteca, losing just twice in 89 competitive matches there.

That is why former West Ham player Nigel Reo-Coker said: “It’s the most physically demanding place I ever played football.

“To come from Europe and play in that altitude is so difficult.

“You cannot catch your breath. The first 45 to 55 minutes you’re literally just trying to keep breathing.

“It’s about football intelligence – you really have to pick and choose your moments where you exert yourself.”

Aguirre’s men are in top form at the 2026 World Cup, winning all four of their games so far without conceding a single goal.

But the 67-year-old told reporters on Saturday that his team would have to play a “near-perfect match” to beat England, who are fourth in the FIFA rankings.

“They have major players who play both inside and outside the country,” he said. “They’re pretty powerful, physically speaking, and they’re great players.”

Aguirre played down any potential advantage that Mexico might have as a result of their experience of playing at altitude.

“I really do not focus on that,” he said. “It’s 11 against 11. The referee is there to point things out.

“I really don’t think about things like that because we’re 11 Mexican players that need to score in their net, and they’re going to try to score in ours.” The veteran coach, taking charge of Mexico at a World Cup for the third time over three spells, oversaw a first win for the nation in a World Cup knockout match in 40 years against Ecuador in the last 32.

He said he was aware of the growing excitement in the country ahead of the high-profile last-16 tie with England but his job was to keep his players’ feet on the ground.

“The group is aware of where we are,” he said. “The group knows, and every single one of my players has a smartphone and they’re on fire, so they’re pretty much aware of the euphoria and the optimism out there.

“My obligation is that whenever they get too self-confident or whenever they get too ecstatic, I try to ground them.” Aguirre said he believed his men could reach the quarter-finals, which are all taking place in the United States.

“If I didn’t believe that we could indeed beat England, I would tell you, as a matter of fact,” he said.

“But I firmly believe in how (we) play. I believe that we are at par, and the team that makes fewer mistakes is going to win.”

HAALAND DOES NOT POSE MYSTERY FOR FIVE-TIME CHAMPS

Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti said his defenders need no guidance on how to contain Erling Haaland ahead of Sunday’s World Cup last-16 tie with Norway.

Haaland is in the running for the Golden Boot after scoring five goals in three appearances at the tournament and now faces a familiar opponent in Brazil’s Gabriel Magalhaes.

The Manchester City striker and Arsenal centre-back will resume their Premier League rivalry in New Jersey, with a place in the World Cup quarter-finals on the line.

Brazil’s other central defender and captain, Marquinhos, has squared off against Haaland in the Champions League.

“Everyone knows how he works. I have nothing to explain to my defenders how to play against him. They’ve obviously played against him several times,” said Ancelotti.

“I don’t think that there’s such a thing as an anti-Haaland plan. I don’t need to tell my players how to defend.” Brazil midfielder Bruno Guimaraes is also well acquainted with Haaland, having faced the Norway star while playing for Newcastle.

He will have a key role to play in disrupting the supply lines to the prolific forward.

That task may become even more important with Lucas Paqueta ruled out through injury, forcing Brazil to reshuffle their midfield.

“We have to avoid the ball getting to his feet,” said Guimaraes. “We do have to attack, but we’ve got to make sure that somebody stays on him, because with one ball, he can decide the match.” An extreme heat warning is in effect across the region and, while temperatures are forecast to ease on Sunday, the conditions are still expected to play a significant role in the match.

In nearby New York City, the heat index — the apparent temperature when humidity is factored in — stood at 105F (41C) in mid-afternoon on Friday, although it was slightly cooler as the teams trained on Saturday.

“I don’t think anybody is used to that temperature,” said Guimaraes. “This is going to be a very physical match. It’s really important for you to have your squad on point, even the guys that come from the bench to be fresh.”

Ancelotti felt Brazil’s comeback win over Japan in the last 32 had given his players greater belief heading into Sunday’s clash with Norway.

“We have to play at our best level, but I think we are at a time when we can play at our best level because we’re confident,” said the Italian.

“We’ve come out of a challenging last match against Japan, and we’re prepared for anything that can happen, just as we were for our last match.” He revealed that Raphinha could be included in the squad, having missed the past two games with a thigh injury.

“Raphinha is making great progress. He’s not at 100 per cent, but he might be on the bench to play a few minutes.

“He’s recovering really well and fast, we’re really happy. Raphinha is a very important player for our team.” Ancelotti also left the door open to Vinicius Junior and Neymar featuring together against Norway.

Vinicius Junior has led Brazil’s attack with four goals at the World Cup, while all-time record scorer Neymar has made just one brief substitute appearance following a calf injury.

“Yes, Neymar and Vinicius could play together at some point, and I think they will,” said Ancelotti.

COACH QUITS AFTER TWO GAMES

Herve Renard, who took over from Sabri Lamouchi as Tunisia coach in the middle of the World Cup, announced on Saturday that he was stepping down after just two matches in charge of the Eagles of Carthage.

“My adventure (with Tunisia) has come to an end,” the 57-year-old Frenchman posted on Instagram.

“Before I leave, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Tunisian Football Federation for allowing me to take part in the 2026 World Cup.

“It was an honour to represent Tunisia and to have this unforgettable experience,” added Renard, who has guided Zambia and Ivory Coast to Africa Cup of Nations glory.

Renard had been appointed by the federation on June 16 to succeed Lamouchi, who was sacked after Tunisia’s 5-1 thrashing by Sweden in their opening match.

But the former Saudi Arabia boss fared no better than his predecessor, overseeing a 4-0 loss to Japan and a 3-1 defeat to the Netherlands in the North Africans’ remaining two group matches.

Following Tunisia’s elimination, Renard told AFP that he had come “for this World Cup”, without specifying whether Tunisia had asked him to extend his contract.

Renard had been set to guide Saudi Arabia through the World Cup but was sacked from his post less than two months before the start of the tournament in North America.