Mexico vs England last-16 tie is heads-or-tails match - they could run us off our feet, says Merson

Sky Sports' Paul Merson looks ahead to England's last-16 World Cup encounter with co-hosts Mexico on Monday, a game he thinks is too close to call.

Thomas Tuchel's side came from behind to edge DR Congo 2-1 in a tightly fought round-of-32 tie in Atlanta on Wednesday to set up this intriguing knockout clash at the 87,523-capacity Azteca stadium in Mexico City.

Mexico have an intimidating record at the stadium, having never lost a World Cup match there, while they have only been beaten twice in 89 competitive fixtures at the venue, winning on 70 occasions.

Not only that, but the game will be played 7,200ft above sea level - and with England only arriving in the Mexican capital two days before the game, their players will not have enough time to adjust.

Merson, who was capped 21 times by England and played at the 1998 World Cup, believes the altitude and the home support will be a huge advantage to Mexico, while he also analyses who should take on the problem right-back role and whether England captain Harry Kane could win this year's Ballon d'Or after his match-winning double against DR Congo.

'What can you say about Kane - he produces time and time again'

"England probably would not be at the World Cup, would they [without Harry Kane]? Phenomenal, absolutely phenomenal. Top, top drawer, like world class, his second goal is just unbelievable. If [Lionel] Messi would have scored that, or [Kylian] Mbappe, we'd be going mad.

"It was just a phenomenal, phenomenal finish. First one, I thought it was fortunate, their goalkeeper was outstanding, but that was probably his easiest save of the whole day, if I was being honest. He tried to punch it instead of parry it to the side. And he should have saved that one.

"But yeah, I mean, Harry Kane, what can you say about him? He just produces time and time again."

'Kane definitely in the Ballon d'Or conversation'

"There's a long way to go [until the Ballon d'Or]. The top goalscorers like Messi and Mbappe, if one of them go on and win the World Cup again, they're going to score a lot more goals. If Kane goes and wins the World Cup and keeps on scoring, he'll go and win it.

"So yeah, there's a long way to go. But he's definitely in the conversation. I mean, he's just been unbelievable this season. The goals he gets, he gets all kinds of goals. Left foot, right foot, headers, long-range efforts, six yards out, off the post. He gets every kind of goal. He's just the all-round, all-round centre forward in my opinion."

'Mexico is a heads-or-tails football match'

"They're in it [with a chance of winning the World Cup]. My biggest worry is this next game in Mexico in the altitude. I mean, it's such a difficult game. Talent-wise, I don't think they've got a player that would get in the England team. But when you're playing where they're playing, with the fans and in that stadium and with the altitude, above sea level, I think this is a difficult, difficult game.

"I think this is a heads-or-tails football match. And I wouldn't be shocked if we didn't win this football match. If it was anywhere else in the world, I would expect us to win it. But in Mexico, I think it's a difficult game...

"...[The altitude is] huge, as big as you could imagine. If this was played anywhere else, England would win this football match. No Mexico player gets in the England team, we're by far the better team. But it's an altitude of 7,000 feet, that is mind blowing.

"You've only got a look at their record at home, they just run teams down, they just keep on going and going. I think we don't really understand, watching at home, the difference.

"Because you're watching Mexico and they're running and running and running. And the other teams just get run off their feet. I think England will hope this to be a real cagey football match, but if Mexico open this game up, I don't see how they don't run England off their feet.

"England can't do anything, it takes probably a couple of weeks to get acclimatised. So for me, that is the biggest obstacle for England, the altitude."

'If we can perform like we did vs DR Congo, we have every chance'

"I don't think they got away with it. I hear it when people say they got away with it. I mean, the man of the match was their goalkeeper. That's unusual for England. I've seen England play a lot of other times, not really look like scoring, being a bit dull.

"But, you know, even if they'd have lost yesterday, if you lose a football match and you come off the pitch and the best player on the pitch is the opposition goalkeeper, there's not much you can do about it.

"So I thought we started slowly, but we made good chances and the goalkeeper had one of them days where we could have probably won three, four or five

"So for me, I didn't think we got away with one. I thought their goalkeeper was outstanding. And if we can perform like that and make that many chances in up-and-coming games, I think we have every chance.

"But I just think the attitude... I've watched Mexico a few times now and everybody they play is out on their feet by the end of the game. I mean, the Czech Republic were probably the better team in the first half against Mexico.

"Second half, they were out on their feet and they got destroyed. So for me, this is going to be my worry is the Mexico game. I think if we beat Mexico, then I fancy us to beat Brazil if they get through.

"This is the harder game, Mexico away in Mexico."

'I'd go with Spence again at right back, he has got pace'

"For the 15 minutes or so we had Declan Rice there, he was outstanding. You had that little triangle of him, [Eberechi] Eze and [Bukayo] Saka down that sort of right-hand side a couple of times.

"My problem is when you've got a game like Mexico where they're isolating him and it'll be one vs one, he'll do a jo, of course he will - he's Declan Rice, he's a brilliant professional and a brilliant player.

"But I'd go with Djed Spence again, he has got pace. I know he struggled a bit yesterday, but he is a full-back. That is his position. Otherwise, you drop [Jude] Bellingham back, play [Jordan] Henderson, then you obviously play Morgan Rogers in the hole, or Eze in the hole.

"But for me, that is an awkward one. I mean, it's easy for us all to say now, oh, he missed a trick and should have took so and so. But no one knows everybody's going to get injured, do you know what I mean? But for me, it could come back to bite us too, this right-back situation."

'If Mexico make it end to end, they'll run England off their feet'

"I like Bellingham coming from deep, him playing to the side. I think he might probably play Rice at right-back. And I only say that because then he can play [Jordan] Henderson, he can play [Elliot] Anderson and Bellingham further back and he can make them runs from deep

"I think he's harder to pick up from playing deep and making them runs. And then I would probably put Rogers in the hole instead of Eze in this game because I think Mexico have a go at England.

"If it was a game where they sat ten behind the ball, then I think you want Eze where he's got that little bit of guile, he's a little bit more with the ball.

"I find with Rogers, he likes broken spaces and he runs with the ball - he's a brilliant runner with it and he can go past people. I would probably play him because I think Mexico have a go at us. I think they've got to open the game up, Mexico, they need to make this a frantic football match.

"If they make this a slow game, Mexico, then I don't see England not winning this game. But if they make it frantic and a bit end to end, I think they'll run England off their feet and I think it will be a problem for England then."

'The home crowd is another big advantage'

"In their last game against Ecuador, I don't think I've seen a stadium rocking as much as that before. I honestly don't. When you're at home, you can hear the atmosphere, it was absolutely rocking the place. I think another big advantage, they're going to have home advantage, the crowd.

"But yeah, that atmosphere in the last game against Ecuador was unbelievable."

'Water breaks will be vital for England'

"Yeah, very much so [important on Sunday]. Every break works for one team and doesn't work for the other. In every football match that's been played in the World Cup, that'll be the case.

"Something always happens after it, whether it be for one or the other team. So for me, you need these breaks. England will have to use these to the absolute maximum because they will have to have that vital rest and get themselves back together again and get their drinks in.

"But I think people underestimate this altitude, how difficult it will be for England."