If the Norway-Brazil match delivered drama on the pitch, the Mexico-England Round of 16 clash served it up long before kickoff.
England’s team bus was targeted by Mexican fans as it made its way to the legendary Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, with supporters spraying the vehicle with foam — a boisterous, if unsettling, welcome for the visitors. England were returning to the Azteca for the first time since their infamous 1986 World Cup quarter-final against Diego Maradona’s Argentina.
Then the weather intervened. A powerful thunderstorm rolled through the stadium, forcing FIFA to delay kick-off by a full hour. Mexico entered the match on a remarkable run, having conceded zero goals across four games, buoyed by fervent home-ground support. The delay only ratcheted up the tension for a fixture already loaded with history and hostility.
