Around 1,000 Mexico supporters gathered outside Ecuador's team hotel in Mexico City late on June 29, using noisemakers, pans, horns, motorcycles, and loudspeakers to create a noisy atmosphere that disturbed Ecuador's players before their last-32 World Cup match [1, 2, 3]. The Ecuador Football Federation formally complained to FIFA about the disruption, saying, "This conduct is far removed from the principles of fair play, equality and unity that a football World Cup should represent" [1, 2, 4, 3]. The noisy fan behavior reflects a divisive Latin American football tradition where home fans serenade visiting teams at hotels, sometimes as psychological warfare [3].

Despite the disturbances, Mexico defeated Ecuador 2-0 at Estadio Azteca on June 30, a stadium with a capacity of 83,264 [1, 5, 6, 2, 4]. While the hotel noise caused tension, Ecuador and Mexico fans kept a generally friendly atmosphere in the stadium. Ecuadorian fan Jonathan Toledo said, "That's football, it's normal. We've had a great experience here. Everyone has been very friendly" [7, 8]. The two nations have strained diplomatic relations since Ecuador's controversial raid on Mexico's embassy in Quito in April 2024 [7, 8].

Following these events, England arrived in Mexico City on July 4-5 ahead of their last-16 World Cup match against Mexico scheduled for July 6, 6pm local time [9, 10, 4, 11]. Due to concerns over noisy fan disruptions like those experienced by Ecuador, the English team kept their hotel location secret. Despite increased security, England players were booed upon arrival, with hundreds of local fans crowding and chanting outside their hotel [10, 11]. England manager Thomas Tuchel noted the challenge of playing at Mexico City's altitude of approximately 2,240 meters, saying, "The altitude will be a big disadvantage because we cannot physically adapt to it. And in four days, it's just impossible" [9, 10, 11].

FIFA considered moving the England-Mexico match kick-off six hours earlier due to forecast storms but kept the original 6pm slot [10, 11]. Mexico manager Javier Aguirre criticized the schedule proposal, calling it "a kick in the stomach" [11].

Meanwhile, the Losers Cafe in Mexico City, run by Oatly and a local owner, became a welcoming space for fans of eliminated World Cup teams. The cafe raised Ecuador's flag after Mexico's victory over them. Owner Ian Infante said people initially resisted the concept but grew to "feel a bit more connected to defeat" [5, 6, 12].

The England vs Mexico World Cup last-16 match will take place tonight, July 6, at 6pm local time in Mexico City.