Warren Barton’s 3 Keys For England Beating Mexico In World Cup Showdown

Warren Barton experienced the full spectrum of human emotions Wednesday while watching England play DR Congo. Elation, nervousness, panic, frustration, relief, pride and everything in between.

The former England defender, who's now a FOX Sports World Cup match analyst, was watching on the edge of his seat from Dallas. By the seventh minute of the match, his beloved Three Lions were down 1-0 and remained behind for the next 68 minutes. Dreams of it coming home were evaporating until Harry Kane found the back of the net twice before the final whistle.

A roller coaster of emotions, Barton joked it all comes with the territory of being an England supporter — but subsequently, so would "a little siesta" to mentally recover.

"It was a slog," Barton told us after England's 2-1 win against DR Congo in the 2026 World Cup round of 32 match. "It was a really, really tough game."

The Three Lions advanced to face Mexico in the round of 16 on Sunday at Mexico City Stadium — also known as Estadio Azteca, a venue sure to provide El Tri with an unparalleled home-field advantage.

"The atmosphere in the stadium is going to be tremendous," Barton said, praising Javier Aguirre's side and World Cup co-hosts.

Between a true home game, the incredible altitude — Mexico City's elevation is about 2,000 feet higher than mile-high Denver — and the pressure of the World Cup, this knockout match won't be easy for England. And especially not if it concedes early again.

As a former pro and current analyst, Barton broke down three keys for how England can beat Mexico, advance to the quarterfinals and keep the dream of football coming home alive.

1.

England Needs To Step Up Its Defense

Unsurprisingly from a former defender, Barton's first point was England "no doubt" needing to defend better, particularly at right back.

He pointed to 25-year-old Djed Spence, who plays for Tottenham Hotspur, perhaps struggling as the unexpected right back with Reece James being sidelined against DR Congo with a hamstring issue. DR Congo's lone goal of the match was from Spence's flank, so his inexperience may be showing.

"Spence is a young player, [and he] really burst onto the [English Premier League] with Tottenham this season," Barton told us. "If you spoke before that, was he going to go to a World Cup? There wasn't any talk of that, and it was only really in the last three months. So it's a lot of pressure and responsibility on such a young player."

(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

James hasn't played since the Three Lions' second group stage match, missing the group-stage finale, a 2-0 win against Panama, and the first knockout contest. Injuries have been an issue for this squad leading up to and throughout the World Cup so far.

"James would normally be the player to come in, the Chelsea fullback, but he's got history of being injured," Barton said. "And Tino Livramento — he had to leave early in the tournament because he was injured. So, you've picked two right backs that have got history-proven injuries, so hopefully Reese James can come back. Very experienced, good character, was noticeable that he had a chat with Spence. So the right back of defense has to be more solid and more organized."

Although James' status for Mexico is uncertain, Barton hopes the defender is able to return and bring some stability to the lineup. Against DR Congo, the FOX Sports analyst said he felt defenders were "overcompensating, over-covering and leaving space behind."

"James coming in," Barton continued, "with [Ezri] Konsa with maybe Guéhi and [Nico] O'Reilly — that's a foundation that they need to do better as a unit and also as individuals, but particularly the right-back areas."

2.

Precision In The Midfield

Taking care of the ball is critical in any sport that plays with one, but Barton hopes to see England being precise with and passing the ball better in the midfield. But also aggressive, rather than timid or complacent.

(Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)

"You [saw manager] Thomas Tuchel [Wednesday] was very much animated about playing progressive soccer," Barton observed. "He doesn't like the side-to-side possession. [Elliot] Anderson or [Declan] Rice — that's where we got that chance earlier on with Harry Kane.

"Passing, progressive soccer, look to try and penetrate early and hurt teams early with the likes of Harry Kane and the speed that we have on the flank. So that's an area I think we need to improve."

3.

Just Get Harry Kane The Ball

Simple enough, right?

Kane — whose Golden Boot odds soared after his brace vs. DR Congo — is the Three Lions' most reliable goalscorer, meaning he's also often the victim of strong defensive coverage. But with five goals in this World Cup so far, freeing him up and unlocking his full potential is a necessity for England advancing to the quarterfinals and beyond.

"Just get Harry Kane the ball, getting it across, keep him engaged in the game as much as possible because he will score goals — there's no doubt about that," Barton said.

He compared Kane's ability to capitalize on opportunities to Erling Haaland's, who also has five goals for Norway so far. They're the kind of players who can score in a multitude of ways if their teammates set them up properly, he said.

"I was lucky enough to play with an England captain, Alan Shearer, at Newcastle [United]," Barton continued. "And he just used to say, ‘Give me the ball. Put the ball in the area, put the ball in the area.' And you're going to get chances, and you're going to get goals. And if you don't get the first ball, you might get the second ball. …

"Feed Harry Kane. Just give him the opportunity to put him in good areas, and he will score goals. It sounds simple, but it's so effective to do that."

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