World Cup 2026: It will be like an away game vs Mexico, says Rice

Declan Rice says England's World Cup match vs Mexico will feel like an 'away game'. Despite the Azteca Stadium's iconic history, he insists the team is focused on their performance and ready to 'do a job' regardless of the venue or fan support.

England midfielder Declan Rice said the upcoming World Cup clash against Mexico will feel like an away game due to Mexico's strong home advantage and fan support. However, he stressed that England are focused on their performance and not the venue. Rice also acknowledged the historic significance of the Azteca Stadium, noting its iconic football moments, but added that England will treat it like any other stadium and aim to "do a job" in the match.

Rice on 'Away Game' Feel and Azteca's Legacy

"It's kind of going to be like an away game for us. They've played every game in Mexico so far, been at home the whole tournament, so for us it's just being able to go there and deal with what's going to be thrown at us," Rice said while speaking to Lions' Den as per Goal.com.

"For us, we don't care where we play. To us, it's just a stadium. Obviously, the Azteca is known as where Maradona done the 'Hand of God', like just loads of different iconic moments. For us, we're just turning up to do a job. Obviously it's going to be unreal, but it's just another stadium we get to play at," he added.

Match Timing Unchanged Despite Weather Concerns

The high-octane FIFA World Cup 2026 round of 16 clash between England and Mexico at the iconic Azteca Stadium in Mexico will kick off on Monday at 1 am UK time, as originally scheduled, after the emergence of reports of a change in timings due to bad weather, as reported by Sky Sports.

Thunderstorms and bad weather are forecasted to affect the match at Mexico's fortress around the time of kick-off. Due to this, reports emerged that FIFA were considering a change in game timings by moving it forward by six hours, and discussions about it were underway with the English and Mexican FAs. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)