June 28th, 2016. Iceland 2-1 England. Arguably the most humiliating defeat in the history of English football. The men’s national team did not know where to go. The mentality had been broken. A decade later, England have still not broken their now 60-year trophy drought but so much has changed. They have the chance to advance to a fifth straight major tournament quarter final, which would make it three in a row at World Cups. In the past decade, England have slowly but surely shown that they can handle the weight of the shirt. There have been major flaws, of course, but now this team enters the cauldron of the Azteca with a chance to prove once and for all that in the past 10 years, the mentality of the national team has turned from non-existent to elite.
In 2018, England made a third ever World Cup semi-final, with a first ever World Cup penalty shootout win helping them along the way. That victory over Colombia changed everything. Of course, the Three Lions were eventually defeated by Croatia in the semi-finals after leading 1-0, and were denied a first World Cup final since 1966.
Three years later, in Euro 2020, played in 2021, Sir Gareth Southgate’s team defeated their old foe Germany 2-0, the first win in a competitive knockout match against Die Mannschaft since the 1966 World Cup final. But England fell at the final hurdle, falling to Italy on penalties in their first ever Euros final, after leading 1-0 once again, this time at Wembley.
In Qatar in 2022, England looked like one of the best teams in the tournament, scoring 12 goals in four games, and blowing away African champions, Senegal, 3-0 in the Round of 16. The reigning world champions, France, were up next. England were the better side in the game, but once again fell short when it mattered most. Captain Harry Kane, who had scored a penalty earlier in the game, missed his second of the match with the ball sailing over the bar, leaving the score at 2-1 to France, and that is how it finished. England had gone toe to toe with the world champions, but had come away losers yet again.
The England team at Euro 2024 was the worst under Southgate, however they showed an evolution of the elite mentality Southgate was looking to instill in his side. England trailed in every knockout match of Euro 2024, but still made it to the final. Losing 1-0 to Slovakia, Jude Bellingham put his country on his back with an overhead kick to send the game to extra time, where Kane won it for the Three Lions. Losing 1-0 to Switzerland, Bukayo Saka showed the nation that he can step up when it matters most, equalising from distance just five minutes after England had gone behind. After 30 minutes of extra time, five perfect penalties saw England through, with Saka once again stepping up for his country, converting his having missed the crucial one in the final against Italy. In the semi-finals, losing 1-0 to the Netherlands, England fought back once again, with Kane equalising from the spot before Ollie Watkins sent the Three Lions to their first ever final on foreign soil with a sensational finish in the 90th minute. Of course, England were defeated by Spain in the final, even after Cole Palmer’s equaliser, but despite the poor performances throughout the competition, this tournament was evidence that England had the fighting mentality that so many squads in the past had lacked.
Over the last eight years, England have done everything but win a major trophy. A first World Cup penalty shootout win, a first Euros final, and a second Euros final, which was the Three Lions’ first final on foreign soil. Even against the Democratic Republic of Congo, England leapt to new heights. When Congo took the lead early on, a worrying stat flashed across the screen. The last time England won a World Cup match when conceding first? The 1966 final. At half-time, with Congo still ahead, an even more worrying stat became apparent, England had never won a World Cup match when trailing after 45 minutes. Two stats to summarise a mentality issue for the Three Lions throughout their history in football’s biggest competition. But after Kane’s brace won his side the match, England have put yet another hoodoo behind them.
Now this group faces as tall a task as any. A match against Mexico, in Mexico City, at the Azteca Stadium, in the World Cup knockout stages. Mexico have just come off a win against Ecuador which ended a 40-year drought of a victory in a World Cup knockout match. They have won all four games this tournament, without conceding a goal. They have played all their games at home, with three being at the Azteca, acclimatising to the elevation of Mexico City, which sits at an altitude of more than 2,200 metres (over 7,300 feet). The Mexico fans are arguably the most passionate in the sport, and have created a hostile atmosphere for every single opponent so far.
England, meanwhile, have been based in Kansas City. They have travelled all around the United States, playing in Dallas, Boston, New Jersey, and Atlanta, and now face a trip to the US’ southern neighbour. Combine all the factors Mexico have in their favour, and the ones England do not have in theirs, and this match poses a monumental task. However, it also gives the Three Lions the opportunity to prove that they are not like the teams of the past that have fallen at the toughest hurdles. The build up to this match would suggest that England are the far more flawed team given the way they are being dismissed. Thomas Tuchel’s men have the chance to prove why they are the fourth ranked team in the world and, more importantly, prove to the world that they have adopted an elite mentality which will see them overcome any test.
A match against Mexico at the Azteca is arguably the toughest away fixture you could have at any World Cup. A win at the Azteca Stadium would prove that nothing intimidates this team. In the pre-Southgate era, England teams would have crumbled at this prospect. In this new era built by Southgate, however, is a group of players that can go into the Azteca and silence the crowd and the critics. Southgate built the foundations for an elite mentality in this group, with each tournament seeing a new barrier broken down. However, even amidst all the great moments over the last four tournaments, England have always seemed to fall when the toughest moments have presented themselves. It is time for Tuchel to finish the job of embedding this impenetrable mentality into the national team, and he can prove it with a win in Mexico’s capital.
Win at the Azteca, and England will have proved everyone wrong, and will show that this team is different to the ones of the past. A loss, and the adage of ‘same old England’ will ring true yet again. It will be tough, but winning a World Cup isn’t meant to be easy. Time for the Three Lions to show how different they really are to the teams of the last 60 years, and how much the national team’s mentality has changed since that humiliating defeat in Nice 10 years ago.
Prediction: England 3-1 Mexico
The first 20 minutes will be the most difficult for England. Luckily for them, the introduction of ‘hydration breaks’ will hepl them massively, just as it did against DR Congo. Get to that first break at 0-0, and the Three Lions can come out of their shell after what will likely be 22 minutes and 30 seconds of immense pressure from both the Mexican team and their fans. We saw against Croatia how dangerous England can be when you try and play expansive football. In front of their home fans, Mexico will try and do the same, which is where they can be punished. It won’t be easy, but England’s quality will shine through.