‘We Don't Care'-Declan Rice Ignores Mexico's Imposing Azteca Advantage

England midfielder Declan Rice is not intimidated by the iconic Estadio Azteca, calling Mexico's fortress home "just another stadium" ahead of Sunday's round of 16 clash.

The Three Lions might out-class El Tri on paper, but there is a mountain to climb to book a place in the quarterfinals at the expense of the co-host. No team has ever defeated Mexico at the Azteca on the world stage, and the Concacaf side has only lost two of 89 competitive matches at the venue.

Factoring in the altitude-the stadium is 7,365 feet above sea level-and thunderstorms potentially delaying the game, England faces challenges beyond just a Mexico side buzzing with confidence. Still, Rice is unfazed by the environment awaiting.

"It's kind of going to be like an away game for us," Rice said on England's Lions' Den. "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.

"For us, we don't care where we play. To us, it's just a stadium."

England Desperate to Eradicate Past Demons

England certainly does not have found memories of the Azteca. The last time the Three Lions played at the ground was in 1986, falling 2–1 to Argentina in the World Cup quarterfinals.

A defeat would have been painful enough, but Diego Maradona's infamous brace made the result all the more painful. The Argentine legend invoked the ‘Hand of God' to get his side on the scoresheet, using his arm to direct the ball beyond goalkeeper Peter Shilton and into the back of the net.

The referee missed the handball and controversially let the goal stand. Four minutes later, Maradona scored what would forever be known as the ‘The Goal of the Century' to add insult to injury. England pulled one back, but could not complete a comeback.

Now 40 years later, England is hoping to rewrite its legacy at the Azteca. Rice, though, is doing his best to just the focus on the game at hand.

"Obviously the Azteca is known as where Maradona done the ‘Hand of God,' like just loads of different iconic moments," the Arsenal man said. "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."

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Thomas Tuchel Needs More From His Players

So much has been made about the players that England boss Thomas Tuchel did not bring to the World Cup. After the Three Lions' early struggles in North America this summer, it's easy to see how Phil Foden, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harry Maguire would have elevated the team.

But Tuchel cannot dwell on his controversial selections. The German instead needs to figure out how to get more from his squad if England wants to live up to its billing as one of the pre-tournament favorites. The 1966 world champion needed late heroics from Harry Kane to stage a comeback against DR Congo in the round of 32 to even make it to the Azteca.

Mexico, meanwhile, has been perfect at the 2026 World Cup so far, winning its three group stage matches against South Africa, South Korea and Czechia, before defeating Ecuador 2–0 in the round of 32. All the while, Javier Aguirre's side is yet to concede a goal.

For an England side painfully lacking creativity, breaking through Mexico's impressive defense in such a hostile environment is a daunting challenge. Yet if the Three Lions succeed, it could be the exact result needed to make a deep run this summer.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘We Don't Care'-Declan Rice Ignores Mexico's Imposing Azteca Advantage.

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This story was originally published July 4, 2026 at 2:00 PM.