Javier Aguirre, head coach of the Mexican national football team, downplayed the importance of the altitude factor at the Azteca stadium before facing England at dawn on Monday in the World Cup Round of 16, insisting that the match will remain '11 vs 11'. The spotlight before the match was on the difficult challenge awaiting the visitors in a match hosted by a stadium at an altitude of 2240 meters above sea level, where air density is lower, meaning each breath provides the body with less oxygen, and the ball moves faster and travels longer distances. Although Mexico is not among the top contenders for the title, it has a worrying record for opponents at its famous stadium, having lost only twice in 89 official matches. The team has performed ideally in the 2026 World Cup, winning all four matches without conceding a goal. However, the 67-year-old coach told journalists on Saturday that they need to deliver a 'near-perfect' performance to overcome England, ranked fourth by FIFA. He added: 'They have great players. They are very strong physically, and they are wonderful.' Aguirre downplayed any potential advantage for Mexico due to its experience playing at altitude. He said: 'I don't really focus on that. It's 11 against 11, and the referee is there to call things.' He continued: 'I don't think about things like that, because we need to score against them, and they will try to do the same.' The veteran coach is leading the national team in the World Cup for the third time across different periods, and he oversaw Mexico's first World Cup knockout victory in 40 years, after beating Ecuador in the Round of 32. He explained that he is aware of the growing excitement in the country ahead of the anticipated match against England, but his task is to keep his players balanced: 'The group is fully aware of our current situation. The players know that, and each of them has a smartphone, and they are very interactive, so they are aware of the enthusiasm and optimism outside.' He added: 'My duty is that whenever they feel overconfident or overly excited, I try to bring them back to reality.' Aguirre affirmed that he believes in their ability to reach the quarter-finals, all of which will be held in the United States: 'If I didn't genuinely believe we could beat England, I would tell you that honestly. But I strongly believe in our style of play. I think we are evenly matched, and the team that makes fewer mistakes will win.'