England will be battling against history as well as entire nation when the face Mexico in the World Cup last 16 at The Azteca, says chief football writer Phil McNulty.

Mexico have won all four of their matches at this tournament, scoring eight goals while keeping a perfect defensive record through the group stage and their Round of 32 win over E

Mexico has spent 40 years chasing a return to the World Cup quarterfinals. On Sunday, their best chance in a generation arrives.

Mexican fans are risking legal action as they try to disrupt England’s peaceful sleep before the all-important round of 16 clash. They turned up to the party with drums, trumpets, and fireworks and police were forced to act to ensure the English team had ample rest before the crucial game.

Mexicans in the north-east of England say they are excited for the upcoming World Cup knockout match but their hearts are divided. The round-of-16 clash in Mexico City kicks off at 01:00 BST on Monday (18:00 Sunday local time) with pubs and bars across the region planning to stay open until 05:00 after licensing laws were relaxed.