Azteca belief, Roberto Alvarado, Julián Quiñones and five keys to Mexico vs England

Alvarado's path once came surprisingly close to Manchester City. As a teenager coming through Celaya, he traveled to England for a youth trial and trained alongside future stars Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho and Brahim Díaz.

The talent appeared to be enough, but the move never materialized. Alvarado has since told the story with humor, saying City chose Foden while he waited on paperwork from Mexico, including proof of address and his parents' identification documents. In reality, the chance was also complicated by restrictions on international transfers involving minors, leaving Alvarado to return home and build his career with Celaya, Pachuca, Necaxa, Cruz Azul and Chivas.

This World Cup has given Alvarado the stage his career had been building toward. There have been several special moments for Mexico in this tournament, and his performances rank among the best.

After four matches, he leads El Tri with 10 chances created and has already become the Mexican player with the most assists in a single World Cup, with three. El Piojo, "The Flea," has been Mexico's most reliable connector between midfield and attack.

The question now is whether Alvarado's future will eventually take him abroad. He is 27, in the middle of his prime, and playing like someone who still has another chapter to write.

Italy is not at this World Cup, but Mexico has made sure not to forget its tactical discipline. El Tri are not trying to become Italian, nor should they. The best Mexican teams have always carried their own emotional pulse. But this version has added a colder defensive conscience, one that has helped them avoid conceding through four matches.

That education has a clear face in Johan Vásquez. His years in Serie A have sharpened a defender who already possessed the Mexican traits of competitiveness and courage but now plays with the patience of someone shaped in a league where every step matters. At Genoa, he has had to defend deep, read crosses and survive long stretches without the ball. That is the schooling Mexico has often lacked: not just defending with heart, but defending with timing.

There is a lineage to it, too. Rafa Márquez, now Aguirre's assistant manager, went to Italy late in his career with Hellas Verona, almost as if he still wanted another layer of tactical education after Barcelona. Pep Guardiola did something similar after leaving Barcelona, passing through Brescia and Roma to absorb a different interpretation of the game. Italy has long been a finishing school for soccer minds, a four-time World Cup champion where defending is treated not as retreat, but as intelligence.

That defensive interpretation could prove decisive against England.

England's attack has not been a collective machine as much as a two-man guarantee. Harry Kane has already scored five goals in four matches, while Jude Bellingham has added two goals and one assist, giving Thomas Tuchel the clearest route through the tournament: Kane to finish, Bellingham to drag the team forward when the game gets stuck.

The warning came against Ghana. That draw showed how uncomfortable England can become when an opponent closes the middle, denies Kane clean service and forces Bellingham to solve too many problems by himself. Even in the 2-1 win over DR Congo, when Kane rescued England with a late brace, the feeling remained the same: England have stars capable of deciding games, but not yet the fluency of a side that can control every phase.

What they are about to experience in Mexico City will be nothing like Ghana. The altitude, the crowd and Mexico's defensive edge will demand England's best version, not just Kane's finishing or Bellingham's force. If they aspire to go all the way in this World Cup, they will have to prove why at Estadio Azteca and earn a quarterfinal trip to Miami.

Looking back, Mexico's March friendly against Portugal has taken on greater importance. At the time, it was another high-level test before the World Cup. Now, it looks like one of the clearest preparation points for this Round of 16 battle.

In that match, Aguirre had a chance to test details against one of the tournament favorites, knowing there was a strong possibility Mexico's knockout path would lead to England. It gave him a look at how certain players responded against elite talent, speed and control.

Armando "Hormiga" González nearly scored the winner, while Brian Gutiérrez was El Tri's most dangerous attacking player. Álvaro Fidalgo made his Mexico debut, and Obed Vargas brought balance to the midfield. That game became a reference point.

Mexico's starting XI against Portugal was Raúl "Tala" Rangel; Jesús Gallardo, Johan Vásquez, César Montes, Israel Reyes; Erik Lira, Obed Vargas, Álvaro Fidalgo; Roberto Alvarado, Raúl Jiménez and Brian Gutiérrez.

Since then, the picture has changed. Julián Quiñones and Gilberto Mora, who were not in that XI, are now among Mexico's most important players. Jorge Sánchez and Luis Romo have also built momentum through important minutes over the last week. Aguirre may use the same XI that beat Ecuador, but there is enough depth to surprise Tuchel and his staff.

Jiménez knows Jordan Pickford better than most. According to Opta, the Mexican striker is one of the non-English players who has scored the most goals against England's No. 1, with six in his career, tied with Christian Eriksen.

Jiménez's relationship with English soccer has always been layered. He became a Premier League star with Wolverhampton Wanderers, rebuilt himself after his head injury and later began another chapter at Fulham. Along the way, Pickford was one of the goalkeepers he learned how to beat.

Against England, Mexico will need more than nostalgia from their No. 9. If the game tightens in Mexico City, Jiménez's history against Pickford becomes more than a statistic. It becomes a reason for hope.