​England’s unfortunate World Cup history in Mexico: revisiting 1970, 1986 and Diego Maradona’s Hand of God originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. England are in Mexico for a World Cup match, and it’s happening again. Not long after the Three Lions arrived in Mexico City for their first training session, acclimatising to the punishing altitude, FIFA was already maneuvering. The Round of 16 clash at the Azteca, scheduled for Sunday at 6 p.m. local time (8 p.m. ET, 1 a.m. Monday for those in the UK), seemed to be on the move. Storms forecast in the capital prompted plans to push the kickoff forward by six hours, which could have delayed Brazil vs. Norway in New Jersey by an hour from its 4 p.m. start. After hours of speculation, the decision was made to keep the match as scheduled. Elemental forces could not deter the fans, pub landlords in England prepared for extended hours, and the police and emergency services braced for the night. Strange things happen when England play in Mexico at the World Cup. 2026 World Cup HQ: Latest World Cup news | Full World Cup schedule | Buy World Cup tickets. England’s World Cup record in Mexico spans nine matches across 1970 and 1986, with four wins, one draw, and four defeats. 1970 World Cup: Collapse vs. West Germany England’s buildup as defending champions was unsettled before they even arrived in Mexico for the quarterfinal when World Cup-winning captain Bobby Moore was arrested on suspicion of stealing a bracelet from a Bogota hotel. The squad had been in Colombia for a pre-tournament friendly that they won 4-0, then went to Quito for a match against Ecuador and returned to the same hotel ahead of a connecting flight to Mexico, where Moore was detained by Colombian police. He was later released without charge, but the episode hardly set a confident tone for a group facing Brazil. World Cup final hero Geoff Hurst opened with a 1-0 win over Romania, and after a 1-0 loss to Brazil—an encounter where Moore’s challenge on Pelé and Gordon Banks’ famous save from Jairzinho arguably overshadowed the winning strike from Jairzinho—an Allan Clarke penalty sunk Czechoslovakia. England progressed as runners-up in Group 3 and faced a rematch of the 1966 final against West Germany. Alf Ramsey’s side, with Alan Mullery and Martin Peters contributing to a 2-0 lead early in the second half, watched as the game unraveled after the break. The hosts’ hopes were dashed when first-choice goalkeeper Banks was ruled out on the eve of the game by food poisoning, and his substitute Peter Bonetti failed to stop Franz Beckenbauer’s shot, contributing to a disastrous exit that still lingers in memory.