Mexico is counting on a huge home-field advantage to help it reach the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in 40 years.
England stands in the way.
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Brazil soccer fans gather on Copacabana Beach to watch the World Cup soccer match between Brazil and Japan, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)
Norway's Erling Haaland (9) celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Ivory Coast and Norway in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Tuesday, June 30, 2026.(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Norway's Erling Haaland (9) poses after the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Ivory Coast and Norway in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Jessica Tobias)
England's Harry Kane (9) celebrates after scoring a goal next to teammate Jude Bellingham (10) during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between England and Congo in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (Jason Getz/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
A Mexico soccer fan reacts during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Mexico and Ecuador in Mexico City, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
It’s one of two epic round of 16 knockout matchups on Sunday. Brazil faces Norway in the other game.
Mexico appears to have its best chance in decades to end the drought in what many are calling the biggest match in the country’s history, largely because of where the game will be played.
Mexico has won eight matches and tied two at their “home” stadium since Estadio Azteca opened in 1966.
In this tournament, El Tri has three home wins without conceding a goal. Mexico won 2-0 against South Africa and 3-0 against the Czech Republic in the group stage, and beat Ecuador 2-0 in the round of 32. Mexico also defeated South Korea 1-0 in the group stage in a game that was played in Guadalajara.
“The stadium is a monster; that explains the high number of wins and draws, and the few losses — which were just accidents,” said Hugo Sánchez, the striker who played for Mexico in the 1986 World Cup and now serves as an ESPN analyst. “We approach this with optimism because we know it’s England, but if we play the way we did against Ecuador, we can beat them.”
Since last reaching the quarterfinals in 1986, Mexico failed to make the tournament once, failed to advance out of group stage play once and been bounced in the round of 16 seven times.
“I’m one of those who couldn’t make it through; it happened to me in South Africa and Korea,” said Javier Aguirre, who managed El Tri during those campaigns. “It’s deeply painful because you play a great group stage, only to be knocked out for a variety of reasons.”
England knows it will have to battle more than Mexico to advance to the quarterfinals for the third straight time at the World Cup.
Azteca Stadium sits at more than 7,300 feet (2,200 meters) above sea level and for elite athletes to perform at their peak at high altitude, a period of adaption is required to reduce fatigue caused by lower atmospheric pressure and reduced oxygen availability, experts say.
It is generally recommend an extended acclimation period of at least two weeks, or the “fly-in, fly-out” method of arriving as close to game time as possible before acute symptoms set in, according to sports scientists.
“My understanding is that we cannot adapt to the altitude. That is just a huge advantage that Mexico will have,” England coach Thomas Tuchel said earlier this week. “It just takes too much time.”
The game will be Mexico City’s fifth and final match of this year’s World Cup.
England will be counting big time on Harry Kane to deliver in its round of 16 knockout match against Mexico.
That’s nothing new for England’s all-time leading scorer in the World Cup.
England trailed for the opening 75 minutes of its round of 32 match against Congo on Wednesday, Kane remained confident. The 6-foot-2 forward scored two late goals to earn a 2-1 win and send England to the round of 16 to face Mexico in Mexico City.
Kane said the key to playing at the highest level is bringing consistency to everyday training.
Sunday, July 5:
— Brazil vs. Norway, 4 p.m. EDT in East Rutherford, New Jersey (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
— Mexico vs. England, 8 p.m. EDT in Mexico City (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
Monday, July 6:
— Portugal vs. Spain, 3 p.m. EDT in Arlington, Texas (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
— United States vs. Belgium, 8 p.m. EDT in Seattle, Washington (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
Tuesday, July 7:
— Argentina vs. Egypt, noon EDT in Atlanta, Georgia (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
— Switzerland vs. Colombia, 4 p.m. EDT in Vancouver, British Columbia (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
Norway is hoping for a repeat of its stunning upset of Brazil during the 1998 World Cup.
However, Norway remains a slight underdog as it tries to advance to face the winner of the matchup between Mexico and England outside Miami on July 11.
Seleção has won three in a row since opening the tournament with a draw against Morocco, also at the Meadowlands in northern New Jersey.
Norway has a win of its own at the stadium outside New York, defeating Senegal to advance to the knockout round. Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti called Norway a challenging opponent because of structure, as well as talent.
“They have great players,” Brazil midfielder Bruno Guimarães said through an interpreter. “They are not in the knockout rounds by accident. It’s not that we are not respecting Norway. We just believe in our football. We believe in our country, and we want to continue on this dream.”
Erling Haaland has five goals at the World Cup for Norway and 25 over his past 14 competitive matches internationally and 60 in 53 with the national team.
But he faces a formidable challenge against Brazil’s back line duo of Gabriel Magalhães and Marquinhos that Norway coach Ståle Solbakken called one of the best central defenses around.
“There will certainly be some tough duels between them and Erling,” Solbakken said. “But for me, it’s more about Brazil against Norway and not that those two against Erling.”
Brazil has a dangerous forward trio led by Vinícius Júnior, who has combined with Matheus Cunha for seven goals through four games.
Asked to compare the 6-foot-5, 205-pound Haaland and the 5-foot-9, 170-pounder known as “Viní,” Solbakken said, “One is a machine that you can see the accelerations and the great physique, and the other is more a ballerina that can dance with the ball.”
Guimarães called Haaland one of the best attacking players in the world, in the same stratosphere as England’s Harry Kane.
“He is really something else,” Guimarães said. “We have to mark and attack. We do have to attack, but we got to make sure that somebody stays on him because with one ball he can decide the match and we don’t want to let him have it.”
Brazil is expected to be without midfielder Lucas Paquetá against Norway.
Paquetá limped off at halftime and did not return for the round of 32 game against Japan due to a hamstring injury.
“We do not have anyone else on the team with the same characteristics of Lucas Paquetá, so we’ll have to find someone else,” Ancelotti said, while declining to reveal his plan.
On the flip side, Norway defender Julian Ryerson is a candidate to return after leaving early in the game against Senegal on June 22 with injury.
— World Cup fans celebrate America’s 250th birthday in Philadelphia and Houston
— Mbappé scores again and France reaches World Cup quarterfinals with 1-0 win over Paraguay
— Morocco beats World Cup co-host Canada 3-0 and advances to the quarterfinals
— FIFPro union says players at World Cup need more protection from racist abuse
— Egypt’s coach waved Palestinian flag after winning World Cup game
— Kylian Mbappé of France scores 19th career World Cup goal, 1 behind Golden Boot rival Messi
— US players and coach Mauricio Pochettino represent the diversity of America on July Fourth
— World Cup in Photos, Day 23
Morocco's Brahaim Diaz now has four assists and owns the all-time record for most assists by any African player in World Cup history. He is only the second African to have three assists in a single tournament, joining Morocco’s Tahar El-Khalej (1998).
AP Sports Writers Carlos Rodriguez and Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.
See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here
Brazil soccer fans gather on Copacabana Beach to watch the World Cup soccer match between Brazil and Japan, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)
Norway's Erling Haaland (9) celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Ivory Coast and Norway in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Tuesday, June 30, 2026.(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Norway's Erling Haaland (9) poses after the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Ivory Coast and Norway in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Jessica Tobias)
England's Harry Kane (9) celebrates after scoring a goal next to teammate Jude Bellingham (10) during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between England and Congo in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (Jason Getz/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
A Mexico soccer fan reacts during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Mexico and Ecuador in Mexico City, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The 250th anniversary of American independence is colliding with a country gripped by political polarization and a heat wave bearing down on millions of people across multiple states as celebrations get underway across the United States on Saturday.
The signing of the Declaration of Independence, one of history's most celebrated articulations of democratic ambitions, is being marked in myriad ways. President Donald Trump, set to take a central role in festivities, plans to speak on the National Mall in Washington ahead of what's being billed as a historically enormous fireworks show that will rain down over the nation's capital. The president was in South Dakota at Mount Rushmore on Friday, where he delivered a dark speech about the threat of communism in the U.S. as the chiseled images of four of his most prominent predecessors loomed behind him.
Elsewhere, fireworks are scheduled to be set off Saturday over Navy Pier in Chicago and against the skyline of New York City, which also hosted a ball drop at midnight to usher in the holiday with the same fanfare as New Year's Eve. Bristol, Rhode Island, describes itself as home of the nation's oldest Independence Day celebrations dating to 1785. In Los Angeles, Queen Latifah will host a concert featuring performances by The Smashing Pumpkins and Chris Stapleton. Chaka Khan is billed as a special guest.
Anticipation for the milestone holiday has been building for much of the year, serving as an opportunity for Americans to reflect on their complicated history as onetime colonists of an empire who became a superpower of their own. Celebrations months in the making had to adjust or cancel activities entirely as much of the East Coast sweltered under heat that approached and in many cases surpassed triple digits.
In Washington, the Great American State Fair was closed for several hours Friday afternoon during the worst of the heat. The city's Independence Day parade scheduled for Saturday was canceled.
To the chagrin of many on the East Coast, the weather was downright pleasant on the other side of the country. The Pacific Northwest enjoyed temperatures in the 60s on Friday with a few light showers.
In the Seattle suburb of Issaquah, Megan Kurowski, 31, brought her two dogs to the dog park so they could get some exercise before she went to work. Kurowski said she was feeling positive about America’s 250th anniversary and was planning a possible paddleboard to watch the fireworks.
“Everyone’s just, from what it seems, been pretty excited about celebrating 250 years,” she said.
Other American pastimes are overlapping with the holiday.
More than a dozen Major League Baseball games are on the schedule for Saturday. The World Cup, being hosted in the U.S. for the first time in 32 years, will have matches in Houston and Philadelphia on Saturday following a nail-biter overtime win by Argentina over Cape Verde on Friday outside Miami. Pop culture enthusiasts can obsess over Taylor Swift's Friday wedding to football player Travis Kelce at New York City's Madison Square Garden. And Madonna released her 15th studio album, a collection of dance tracks.
The celebrations are unfolding against the backdrop of a deep divide that has been expanding for years, visible in everything from political expression to cultural norms to age-old questions over race, class and immigration.
At Mount Rushmore on Friday, Trump spoke of communism as a "mortal threat to American liberty.”
“It is the greatest threat to our country, including World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor or even 9/11,” he said.
Without naming Trump, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Democrat who is also a democratic socialist and recently backed several successful congressional candidates in their primaries, appeared to reference Trump during a speech Friday.
“Those ideals upon which our nation was built — they are strong enough to endure any authoritarian regime, but only if we reach for them,” he said.
Ahead of the holiday, auto technician Joe Fuqua-Bejarano in Topeka, Kansas, sized up “what makes us awesome” as a people. It is clearly not the politics, in his view, but rather resilience.
“We’ve just all got to find unity somewhere, whether that’s in laughter or perseverance, and keep everybody cool,” he said from the fireworks stand where he is doing a booming business as a side hustle.
Jerry Chin of Newcastle, Washington, said he wasn’t aware that the U.S. was celebrating its 250th anniversary and planned to stay low-key around the holiday. He and his wife generally skip the fireworks and instead stay home with their fearful dogs to keep them calm.
“America’s a great place," he said, “but there are some concerns.”
Associated Press writers Martha Bellisle in Seattle and John Hanna in Topkea, Kansas contributed to this report.
The White House is seen in the distance as people evacuate the area after people were told of incoming storms that will delay the program at a Salute to America Independence Day event honoring the nation's 250th anniversary, Saturday, July 4, 2026, on the National Mall in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
People arrive for a Salute to America Independence Day event honoring the nation's 250th anniversary, Saturday, July 4, 2026, on the National Mall in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Brian White, dressed in a bald eagle costume and patriotic U.S. flag-based clothing, stands along the route of an Independence Day parade in Huntington Beach, Calif., Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A National Park Service employee distributes free water at the national mall during Independence Day events honoring the nation's 250th anniversary, Saturday, July 4, 2026, on the National Mall in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
The Statue of Liberty is framed by Argentina's Ara Libertad in the New York harbor during the International Parade of Sail, part of Sail250, a gathering of tall ships and military ships, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
New U.S. citizen and twice-deployed U.S. Marine Sgt. Diakaria Sangare, from Guinea, poses for a portrait following the naturalization ceremony on Independence Day at George Washington's Mount Vernon, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in Alexandria, Va. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
Military planes perform a flyover of the Hudson River, above the the Manhattan skyline, as seen from Weehawken, N.J., Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
The Statue of Liberty is seen as sailors of a tall ship sail past in the New York harbor during the International Parade of Sail, part of Sail250, a gathering of tall ships and military ships, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
People stand and take the Oath of Allegiance on Independence Day during a naturalization ceremony at George Washington's Mount Vernon, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in Alexandria, Va. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
Children line up to watch an Independence Day parade, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in Deforest, Wis. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)
Members of the National Guard patrol the National Mall before Independence Day events honoring the nation's 250th anniversary, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
Members of the National Guard patrol near the Washington Monument before Independence Day events honoring the nation's 250th anniversary, Saturday, July 4, 2026, on the National Mall in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
Vice President JD Vance arrives on the flight deck of the USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) in the New York harbor during The International Naval Review during Sail250 honoring America's 250th Anniversary, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The USS Farragut sails past the Statue of Liberty in the New York harbor during The International Naval Review, ahead of Sail250, a gathering of tall ships and military ships, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Members of the National Guard direct a person riding a bicycle with various flags attached to a cart before an Independence Day event honoring the nation's 250th anniversary, Saturday, July 4, 2026, on the National Mall in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
Runners draped in American flags participate in a run on Independence Day in Huntington Beach, Calif., Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The French Air Force acrobatic squad Patrouille de France perform a flyover during the International Aerial Review, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Sydney Schaefer)
The Statue of Liberty is seen as Argentina's Ara Libertad sails past in the New York harbor during the International Parade of Sail, part of Sail250, a gathering of tall ships and military ships, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
A U.S. Coast Guard vessel sits with other pleasure craft below the Statue of Liberty in the New York harbor ahead of Sail250, a gathering of tall ships and military ships honoring America's 250th Anniversary, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Military personnel stand on the wet flight deck of the USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) anchored in the New York harbor ahead of Sail250, a gathering of tall ships and military ships honoring America's 250th Anniversary, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
A U.S. Coast Guard vessel sits with other pleasure craft below the Statue of Liberty in the New York harbor ahead of Sail250, a gathering of tall ships and military ships honoring America's 250th Anniversary, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Rain runs down a sculpture of George Washington at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Friday, July 3, 2026, in Keystone, S.D. (AP Photo/Matt Gade)
President Donald Trump speaks at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Friday, July 3, 2026, near Keystone, S.D. (AP Photo/Matt Gade)
Duane Schwingel plays a harmonica on the National Mall, Friday, July 3, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Todd Shaw, left, kisses his wife Shannon Shaw, right, as they pose for portrait during the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, Thursday, July 2, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
A flight of F-18s, F-35s and a F-22 fly past a picture of President Donald Trump hanging on the U.S. Department of Labor near the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, Friday, July 3, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
