Former France international, Thierry Henry has warned England that their game against Mexico may be their last outing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
He warned that the Three Lions will not be able to replicate another World Cup comeback if they fall behind against Mexico in the round of 16.
England experienced an early shock in their round-of-32 match against DR Congo on Wednesday, with Brian Cipenga scoring in the seventh minute.
Thomas Tuchel’s team managed to secure a late victory, as two goals from Harry Kane resulted in a 2-1 win over DR Congo, setting up a round-of-16 clash with Mexico at the Azteca Stadium at 1am BST on Monday morning.
Mexico has triumphed in all four of their World Cup matches against South Africa, South Korea, the Czech Republic, and Ecuador, and they have yet to allow a goal in the tournament.
The co-hosts of the World Cup also benefit from a considerable advantage, as the Azteca Stadium is situated approximately 7,200 feet above sea level, providing England’s players with little time to acclimatize to the altitude.
Henry, who was part of the French team that won the World Cup in 1998, foresees difficulties for England if they concede the first goal against Mexico.
Henry told Fox Sports, “You don’t want to go there too soon right but you have to address the situation.
“If they start the same way they started today at the Azteca, dealing with the altitude, we don’t know how the weather is going to be, it’s one thing to play in a dome and to play outside.
“And so the Mexico we saw yesterday and how they played [against Ecuador], I don’t know if you’re going to come back against a team that still hasn’t conceded a goal.
“We all know this guy, Sir Harry [Kane], can be in a situation where he can open up any team at any moment, but you can’t start like that and you’re not always going to have that cooling break that can give you a little chance, because Ecuador after that cooling break were in trouble.
“I mean Harry Kane… every time it’s him saving them.”
World Cup 2026: Mexico may be your last game, Kane won’t save you – Thierry Henry warns England
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