England can still make a deep run at the FIFA World Cup

England has reached the last 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, yet the mood around it remains strangely familiar. At least internationally, many English fans still believe “it’s coming home”. But they have been believing in that for the past 50 years.

When it comes to the general audience, they are not convinced. If anything, England’s 2-1 win against DR Congo seems to have reinforced the old suspicion that this team is walking toward the same painful ending: early exit from the tournament, despite having the highest expectations.

That reaction is understandable. England was not convincing in the previous match. DR Congo caused serious problems. Thomas Tuchel’s side needed Harry Kane to rescue the night, and the next test now looks even harder. Mexico has been one of the stories of the tournament, winning all four matches so far and doing so without conceding a single goal.

Mexico has momentum, home advantage, belief, and a defensive record that demands respect. England has pressure, baggage, and the world waiting for it to stumble.

However, if football was that simple, we could already crown France as the champions. England is not playing with flair or with ease, but tournament football rarely rewards perfection from start to finish. It rewards resilience, elite moments, game management, and players who can decide tight matches when the rhythm breaks.

And that is exactly what happened against DR Congo, when Kane stepped up. This is why England should still be seen as a serious candidate for a deep run.

England has already passed the kind of test it usually fears

The win over DR Congo will not be remembered as a great performance, and certainly not a controlled match, but it may end up being more valuable than a routine victory.

When you enter a knockout phase of a World Cup tournament, the margins are becoming slimmer. At some point, every contender has to survive a match that brings them to the edge of elimination, tense and emotionally draining. England has already done that.

Whoever expected an easy match against DR Congo did not follow the tournament properly. They possess the defensive capability, discipline and physical strength to challenge England, and that’s exactly what happened. The match against Ghana, which England failed to win in the group phase, showed that the Three Lions have difficulties against teams with double defensive block, which can challenge them physically. But, in the last quarter of the game, they managed to completely break Congo and outhustle them, which should give them a self-confidence boost before the next round.

Harry Kane is an X factor who can change every knockout match

England’s biggest reason for belief remains the simplest one: Harry Kane is still capable of dragging the team across the line.

There are more explosive forwards in this tournament. There are quicker players, flashier players, and younger players. Yet very few footballers are as lethal as Harry Kane. He scored more than 70 goals for the club and the country this season, which surpasses everybody, except for Lionel Messi. He is one of the biggest candidates for winning the Golden Ball.

And against Mexico, he could be a decisive factor.

So far, Mexico has defended superbly. Four straight clean sheets at a World Cup is a serious achievement, regardless of opposition or venue. The defensive unit has been compact, aggressive, and emotionally fed by the home crowd. But Kane asks different questions from most strikers. He does not need constant service. He does not need a match to be open. He can score from one cross, one loose ball, one defensive lapse, one moment where a centre-back switches off.

That is why England can look ordinary for 70 minutes and still win.

England’s flaws are visible, but Mexico won’t exploit them that easily

Mexico is a dangerous opponent, but England should have an answer to their strengths. Mexico can press, break quickly, and they are carried by their home crowd.

However, they won’t be able to go all-out as they did in their previous four matches. English players, especially their midfielders, are used to playing against intense pressing in the Premier League, and both Rice and Anderson can solve it by creating chances up front with direct forward passes.

Also, as the match progresses, Bukayo Saka, Anthony Gordon, Jude Bellingham, and other players around Kane should become more aggressive and dangerous. England has enough ball carriers to escape pressure, enough passing quality to switch play, and enough set-piece threat to punish Mexico if the game becomes physically stretched.

The criticism around England is partly emotional memory

England is judged through its past as much as its present.

Every slow spell recalls another tournament failure. Every defensive mistake feels like the start of a national collapse. Every narrow win is treated less like evidence of resilience and more like proof that disappointment is waiting nearby.

That mood is powerful, but it can also distort the picture.

England is still in the tournament. England has scored goals. England has one of the deepest squads left in the competition. England has a manager with elite club experience and a captain who remains one of the most reliable finishers in world football.

Those facts do not erase the concerns. The midfield balance still needs care. The defensive line can be exposed. The buildup can become stiff when opponents block central access. But none of those issues makes England unique. Every contender left in the tournament has flaws. Some are simply discussed with less emotional baggage.

France has had to manage expectations. Brazil has had difficult spells. Argentina carries the weight of being the defending champion. Portugal and Spain have their own structural questions. The idea that England must look flawless is simply an unrealistic demand.

At this stage, surviving with problems is normal. The key is whether the problems are fatal. England’s are not.

A win over Mexico could change the whole mood

England’s tournament still feels uncertain because it has not produced a defining performance. Mexico offers exactly that opportunity.

Beating Mexico in this setting would be more than a place in the quarterfinals. It would be a psychological shift. England would have eliminated a host nation, and moved through a match loaded with pressure.

That kind of win can alter the way a team sees itself.

Tournament momentum is often misunderstood. It is not always built through stylish football. Sometimes it comes from surviving a scare, then winning a match nobody outside the camp truly expects to be comfortable. England has enough scar tissue from past tournaments, but it also has enough experience to understand how quickly the mood can turn.

If Tuchel gets the selection right, England should have the tools to hurt Mexico. If Kane gets chances, England should believe he can take them. If the midfield gives Bellingham enough freedom to carry the ball forward, England can break Mexico’s defensive rhythm.

Mexico deserves huge respect. But favorites are not decided by momentum alone. They are decided by matchups, ceilings, experience, and decisive players.

That is where England certainly has an edge over most of their opponents.

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