Mexico vs. England: Why we will see a different Three Lions against El Tri in the World Cup round of 16 at Estadio Azteca

England are set to take on World Cup 2026 co-hosts Mexico in the early hours of Monday morning, travelling to the legendary Azteca Stadium.

The Three Lions arrived at the tournament with the weight of expectation on their shoulders given the strength of their squad, not to mention that it has been 60 years since their 1966 World Cup triumph - the longest gap between wins for any nation on Earth.

Thomas Tuchel's side kicked off their Group L campaign with a 4-2 victory over Croatia, a result that showed the attacking depth available to England as well as their vulnerability in defence.

However, that prowess up top was nowhere to be seen in a 0-0 draw against Ghana on matchday two, their final group outing against Panama - a 2-0 win - was closer than ideal, and the team once again struggled to create in the round of 32 against DR Congo, requiring heroics from Harry Kane to prevail.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at why fans should expect to see a different side to England against Mexico in the World Cup's round of 16.

Why have England struggled at World Cup 2026 so far?

The main issue for England at this summer's tournament has been the team's inability to break down low-block defences.

Much was made of Tuchel's controversial squad selection ahead of the World Cup, especially regarding his decision to leave the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Cole Palmer, Morgan Gibbs-White and Adam Wharton at home.

While the initial win against Croatia drew questions about the Three Lions' defensive setup, the overwhelming consensus was that their attack looked amongst the strongest around on paper.

However, Carlos Queiroz's Ghana are notorious for their extreme defence-first approach, and England's cohort of wingers - which includes Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, Noni Madueke and Anthony Gordon - were all ineffective.

The only clear-cut chance of the game fell to Kane late on, and after the captain skied his shot from close range, the main talking point from the clash was that the European giants did not bring a single creative passer to the World Cup.

In truth, England were lucky to escape with a point considering that Ezri Konsa could have had a penalty awarded against him, while Jordan Pickford was fortunate to avoid being sent off.

That dire attacking performance was repeated against a stubborn Panama backline, and until Jude Bellingham found the back of the net from a corner around the hour mark before assisting Kane for a second it seemed difficult to picture a breakthrough.

The round of 32 saw a marginal improvement going forward, but DR Congo came close to beating Tuchel's side, who lacked spark and were rescued by a late brace from talismanic striker Kane.

Why were Thomas Tuchel's England stronger against Croatia?

It is notable that England's best performance of the World Cup so far came in their opener against Croatia, and that they have been unable to replicate their attacking dynamism since.

The Blazers are the highest-ranked team that the Three Lions have faced, and are also the only nation that attempted to go toe-to-toe with them in terms of play style.

Ghana, Panama and DR Congo were all content to sit deep and hurt Tuchel's side on the counter, hoping to make up for the difference in individual quality with a stifling approach.

Croatia are a possession-oriented group that boast a number of technicians in the centre of the park, most notably Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic, something that suited England's physical, transition-based style.

What England fans should expect against Mexico in the round of 16?

Mexico are a formidable opponent having won all four of their games this summer without conceding even once.

Additionally, El Tri will have the home advantage given England will travel to Estadio Azteca, where Javier Aguirre's side are unbeaten in 26 matches - and have never been defeated in a World Cup fixture.

The co-hosts are more than capable of taking the contest to the Three Lions, with stars such as Julian Quinones and familiar face Raul Jimenez leading an attack that has struck eight times in four outings.

However, while their showing at the tournament has been impressive and their record at the Azteca is fearsome at first glance, Tuchel's wingers will be able to find the necessary space to create chances if they can transition quick enough.

Mexico will not be sitting back like the majority of England's opponents to date, and if the Europeans can keep a level head at high altitude, and in the what is sure to be a raucous atmosphere, then they will almost certainly deliver a significantly stronger performance on Monday.