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England meets Mexico at the Estadio Azteca on Sunday in one of the most anticipated fixtures of the World Cup's knockout stage, with a quarter-final berth against Norway or Brazil awaiting the winner.
The match marks England's first return to the Azteca in 40 years, since the 1986 World Cup meeting with Argentina.
Thomas Tuchel's side reached the last 16 after a 2-1 win over the Democratic Republic of Congo, secured by a late double from captain Harry Kane.
England had entered the tournament aiming to end a 60-year wait for a major title but struggled through the group stage before advancing past DR Congo.
The Azteca's altitude, roughly 2,240 meters (7,350 feet) above sea level, presents an added challenge for England, which has had four days to adjust.
Tuchel described the adjustment period as insufficient, saying the altitude will be “a big disadvantage because we cannot physically adapt to it in four days.”
He added that visiting the stadium ahead of the match made it clear the occasion would be "a proper World Cup match.”
England's defense has also shown vulnerability to pace, particularly down the right flank, a weakness Tuchel is working to address before Sunday's game.
Mexico, by contrast, remains unbeaten on home soil through four matches, without conceding a goal. A 2-0 win over Ecuador delivered the team's first World Cup knockout victory in 40 years.
Mexico coach Javier Aguirre downplayed the altitude factor, framing the contest as a matter of '11 v 11' and noting his team would need a near-perfect performance against an England side ranked fourth in the world to Mexico's tenth.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. local time (0000 GMT). FIFA had reportedly considered moving the start time earlier due to forecast thunderstorms before confirming the original schedule would stand.
Forecasts for Mexico City on Sunday still point to thunderstorms around kickoff, with a high of 21 degrees Celsius, well below the tournament's near-record 38 degrees recorded during France's win over Paraguay in Philadelphia.
The Sunday winner advances to a quarter-final in Miami against the victor of the Norway-Brazil match, which meets at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where severe storms and a regional flood warning have also been forecast.
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