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

The two teams meet in a highly anticipated Round of 16 clash in the World Cup currently being held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, as they seek 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 after England's hard-fought 2-1 victory over DR Congo on Wednesday in the Round of 32, setting up a meeting with Mexico in Mexico City in the next round.

Tuchel spoke of the Mexico City stadium as if it were a living entity, capable of reward and punishment; this statement alone suffices to show how deeply rooted the history of this stadium 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 world stage.

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

In that same edition, England had lost to the 'Tango dancers' in the quarter-finals in an unforgettable match, and today the two stories intersect again, with Tuchel acknowledging that he believes in 'karma'—that what one sows, one reaps.

Even back then, the Mexican crowd had mastered the art of intimidating the opponent. They contributed to spreading the 'Mexican wave' globally, an idea that originated in the United States, and 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, still present today.

Aguirre, Mexico's coach, believes that playing in Mexico City provides extra strength (AFP)

Although many of the stadium's greatest moments did not go to the home side, the relationship between Mexican fans and the stadium has evolved over the years to become almost a complete unity.

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

Aguirre said, praising the importance of fan support, in remarks published on FIFA's official website: 'The biggest difference, without doubt, is playing at home. It is our 12th player. We know that the whole country is behind us, and that gives us huge motivation.'

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

Fans interact with the team with great enthusiasm, constantly singing famous national songs.

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

The Mexican stands... the home team's most prominent weapon against 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, and the atmosphere you feel when it is filled with Mexicans. In addition, the pitch is difficult due to the altitude above sea level and the physical fatigue it causes. And of course, that makes the task more difficult.'

The visual archives, the stories of that era, and the events themselves have shrouded this giant structure, which opened its doors to the world again, in an aura of mystery. And 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, the anticipation reached its peak.

Tuchel revealed, referring 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 as Mexico has not lost any World Cup match on home soil, while their last defeat there dates 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 same phrase also applies to the Mexico City Stadium itself: everyone who sets foot on this green rectangle falls under its spell forever.