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4 min readJul 5, 2026 09:26 PM IST
England hold the edge having won four of the last five matches that they have played against Mexico. (Reuters Photo)
Hosts Mexico take on the ever capricious England side in a much awaited FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 clash at the Azteca Stadium on Sunday. El Tri will enter the game on a 4-game winning streak, with the side yet to concede a goal in this tournament and will hope to continue their momentum by upsetting the Three Lions.
But before today’s much awaited encounter between the two nations, when was the last time these two faced one another at the tournament?
The previous and only clash between the two happened at the 1966 World Cup, which England hosted and remains the only edition of the tournament that they won. It was a Group 1 match, which took place on July 16, 1966 at Wembley Stadium, in London. England entered the game under immense pressure after playing a stalemate with the two-time champions Uruguay five days earlier. The North Americans were also looking for their first win of the tournament after playing a 1-1 draw with France on the first matchday.
After playing Uruguay, the Three Lions wrote their name in the record books for the wrong reasons as it marked the very first time a host nation failed to win its opening game, but also they remain the only team to win the World Cup after drawing their opener.
The English press and home fans heavily criticized Alf Ramsey’s side for an uninspiring performance against La Celeste. It was this exact failure to break down Uruguay’s defense that forced Ramsey to drop his wide players, paving the way for the tactical shift to his famous “Wingless Wonders” system in the next game against Mexico.
Disappointed with the result and performance against Uruguay, Ramsey dropped his wingers John Connelly and Alan Ball. He brought attacking midfielder Martin Peters and right winger Terry Paine into the starting eleven to narrow the formation and have a more direct approach in the game.
Mexico’s coach Ignacio Telles had set up a deep defensive formation designed specifically to hold the European teams and for the first 35 minutes, the tactics worked perfectly for Telles with the Mexican defence keeping England’s star striker Jimmy Greaves completely quiet. The breakthrough arrived for the hosts thanks to Manchester United’s legendary forward Bobby Charlton who broke the tactical deadlock after he embarked on a lung-bursting run, and unleashing a swerving, 25-yard rocket. The keeper Ignacio Calderon lunged, but the perfectly calculated velocity took the ball into the top corner.
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Mexico had a go at England’s backline multiple times, but the timely positioning of Bobby Moore and a terrific display by Nobby Stiles kept El Tri at bay. England finally put the game to bed late in the second half thanks to Roger Hunt who reacted fastest on the rebound, after Jimmy Greaves’ shot was pounced by Calderon. England won the game 2-0.
The win gave England the boost which they were desperately looking for, and ultimately the Three Lions went on to win the whole thing by defeating West Germany 4-2 in the finals.
England vs. Mexico head-to-head
England hold the edge having won four of the last five matches that they have played against Mexico.
England vs. Mexico: Last five meetings
| Date | Competition | Result |
| May 24, 2010 | International Friendly | England won 3-1 |
| May 25, 2001 | International Friendly | England won 4-0 |
| March 29, 1997 | International Friendly | England won 2-0 |
| May 17, 1986 | International Friendly | England won 3-0 |
| June 9, 1985 | City Tournament | Mexico won 1-0 |
Written by Madhav Sachdeva, an intern with the online sports desk
English (US) ·