The historic Mexico City stadium bids farewell to this edition of the FIFA World Cup on Saturday evening local time, when it hosts the anticipated match between Mexico and England.

The two teams meet in an anticipated clash in the round of 16 of the World Cup currently being held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, as they seek to secure a spot in the quarter-finals.

German Thomas Tuchel, head coach of the England national team, said: 'It's an appropriate moment to make peace with this stadium. It will reward us.'

Tuchel's comments came following England's hard-fought 2-1 victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo last Wednesday in the round of 32, setting up a date with Mexico in the capital Mexico City in the next round.

Tuchel spoke about the 'Mexico City stadium' as if it were a living being, capable of reward and punishment. This statement alone is enough to show how deeply rooted the stadium's history is in the memory of those who were once just fans, or who grew up on stories told by those before them, and who now write their own chapters on the global stage.

Before the start of this edition, the last World Cup match hosted by this legendary stadium was the 1986 World Cup final, when the late Argentine star Diego Maradona reached the pinnacle of glory with his national team after setting up the winning goal for his teammate Jorge Burruchaga against West Germany.

In that same edition, England had lost to the Argentine team in the quarter-finals in an unforgettable match. Today, the two stories intersect again, with Tuchel acknowledging that he believes in 'karma'—that what a person sows, they later reap.

Even at that time, the Mexican crowd had mastered the art of intimidating the opponent. They helped spread the 'Mexican wave' globally, an idea that originated in the United States. Their vocal impact and collective rhythm showed their ability to move the entire stadium at will, and they also added chants that became part of popular culture and are still present today.

Aguirre, Mexico's coach, believes that playing in Mexico City gives additional strength (AFP)

Although many of the stadium's greatest moments were not for the home team, the relationship between Mexico's fans and the stadium has evolved over the years to become almost a complete unity.

After a renovation project that lasted four years and preserved the spirit of the stadium, Mexico City Stadium (formerly Azteca) welcomed 80,824 spectators in each of the three matches of coach Javier Aguirre's team, with very limited presence of opposing team fans, creating an atmosphere and pressure on opponents even before the starting whistle.

Aguirre said, praising the importance of fan support, in statements reported by the official website of FIFA: 'The biggest difference, without a doubt, is playing on our home ground. It's our 12th player. We know that the entire country is behind us, and that gives us tremendous motivation.'

Mexico has won all its four matches in the World Cup so far, sparking loud celebrations on the pitch. After the 2-0 victory over Ecuador, photos and videos spread of players singing and embracing with fans, raising a simple question: Were the fans singing to the players, or were the players singing to the fans?

Fans interact enthusiastically with the team, constantly repeating famous national songs.

The impact of the atmosphere and the stadium has become a major topic of discussion in both countries. During their talk on BBC, former England international stars Joe Hart and Wayne Rooney warned that playing at this historic stadium in front of such passionate fans would be England's toughest test in the tournament.

The Mexican stands... the home team's most prominent weapon in the face of the English (Reuters)

For his part, Javier Hernández stated on 'Fox Sports', speaking about the importance of playing at the historic Azteca stadium: 'What that legendary stadium represents, the atmosphere you feel when it is filled with Mexicans. In addition, the pitch is difficult due to the altitude and the physical fatigue it causes. And of course, that makes the task even harder.'

The visual archives, the narratives of that era, and the events themselves have created an aura of mystery around this giant structure that opened its doors to the world again. Before the round of 16 match, which will be the last match of the tournament on Mexican soil before the competition moves entirely to the United States, anticipation has reached its peak.

Tuchel revealed, alluding to some challenges awaiting his team against Mexico: 'We will face an entire country, and we will play in front of a full stadium on their home ground.'

This comes at a time when Mexico has not lost any World Cup match on home soil, with their last defeat there dating back to 2013 against Honduras in the final round of CONCACAF qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Álvaro Fidalgo wrote on his Instagram account after scoring his first goal for Mexico against Czech Republic: 'Once you choose it, it never leaves you.'

Perhaps he means the Mexican national team, but the phrase also applies to the 'Mexico City Stadium' itself: anyone who sets foot on this green rectangle falls under its spell forever.

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