Javier Aguirre: Mexico Must Be 'Almost Perfect' to Stop Harry Kane and Beat England

Mexico head coach Javier Aguirre is striking a confident but pragmatic tone ahead of his team's World Cup round-of-16 clash with England. On the eve of the match at the iconic Estadio Azteca, Aguirre made it clear he expects no favors from the altitude or the occasion. Aguirre acknowledged the strength of Thomas Tuchel's England side, singling out captain Harry Kane as the primary threat. Kane has scored five goals in the tournament so far and remains the focal point of the English attack. "Harry Kane is a world-class striker — tall, powerful, brilliant at holding up the ball and finishing. We will try to neutralize him through our defensive midfielders, make him uncomfortable, and prevent him from dictating the game. But England is much more than just one player," Aguirre said. Perhaps surprisingly, the Mexico boss dismissed the widely discussed altitude advantage of the Azteca, which sits 2,240 meters above sea level. Mexico has lost only twice there in competitive matches. "I don't focus on the altitude at all. It's 11 vs 11 on the pitch, with a referee. Both teams will go out and try to score. That's all there is to it," he added. Aguirre also addressed off-field distractions that could have unsettled his squad. Earlier, he criticized a potential match postponement due to thunderstorms, calling it a "low blow." More recently, a YouTuber named Steven Deleonardis gifted Rolex watches to some players, who later returned them. Aguirre said neither incident had affected the team's focus. "My group of players is strong and well-prepared. These were unplanned events, and we dealt with them. The team's mindset is entirely on the match tomorrow," he said. The match is set for July 6 with a 03:00 kickoff local time. Mexico will need to produce what Aguirre described as a "near-perfect performance" to advance.