England’s passage through to the World Cup round of 16 has set up a fearsome task against Mexico at the Estadio Azteca, a venue where the hosts have been near enough unbeatable for over half a century.

Speaking on The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast, Roy Keane, Gary Neville, Ian Wright and Jill Scott turned their attention to the size of that challenge, with the altitude in Mexico City cited as one of the toughest examinations any visiting side can face.

Before that, though, the panel were still coming to terms with Harry Kane’s heroics in the round of 32 against DR Congo, where the captain’s second-half brace dragged England from the brink of an embarrassing exit.

The altitude at the Azteca has historically caused visiting sides all manner of problems, with fatigue setting in far quicker than players are used to closer to sea level. It’s a factor that’s contributed to Mexico’s remarkable home record stretching back decades, and one that could prove just as significant as anything Thomas Tuchel’s side encounter tactically on the pitch.

Roy Keane Agrees on the Three Best English Players Ever

Kane’s display and England’s win against DR Congo proved the catalyst for a debate the panel couldn’t resist getting stuck into, and it didn’t take long for a consensus to emerge. Keane, along with Neville, Wright and Scott, settled on Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore and Kane as England’s three greatest players in history. In that order.

After confirming Kane was on the list, Keane went further in his praise for the Bayern Munich man:

It’s a verdict that places Kane alongside two icons of England’s 1966 World Cup-winning side. For a current player to be mentioned in the same breath speaks to just how highly Kane is now regarded by those who have watched and played the game at the highest level.

How Harry Kane Earned Place Among England’s Greatest

Paul Childs via Action Images via Reuters

Kane’s case for inclusion goes further than one brace against Congo. He arrived at this summer’s World Cup as the most in-form striker in the world, is England’s all-time leading goalscorer, and his second goal saw him move above Pele in the all-time World Cup scoring charts.

What separates Kane from other prolific forwards is his consistency at the very top level, both for club and country, over more than a decade. He has carried the goalscoring burden for England throughout multiple tournaments, often dragging his side through difficult moments much like he did against Congo, and his continued influence at 32 shows no sign of slowing down as this World Cup reaches its business end.

Manchester United‘s search for a new holding midfielder goes on, and the latest reports suggest they will pursue a current World Cup standout. Michael Carrick has a few needs to address this summer, and business has been relatively slow so far, although that is not abnormal during a World Cup summer.

Ederson has been snapped up from Atalanta, but the Red Devils still want to find a more natural replacement for Casemiro, who left the club at the end of his contract. Wherever you look at the top of the game, teams are able to call upon elite holding midfielders, so it’s not a position United can fail to address.

Tottenham managed to win the Mateus Fernandes race, but United may go even younger in their midfielder search.

Man Utd now considering World Cup sensation

Burt Granofsky/Cal Sport Media/Sipa USA

According to GiveMeSport’s Ben Jacobs, United have now muscled their way into the race to sign Morocco star Ayyoub Bouaddi, who has emerged as one of the brightest young talents at this World Cup. Arsenal have been heavily linked with a move for the 18-year-old this summer, but the race is not over.

The midfielder’s current club, Lille, are said to be asking for €80million this summer, which works out at around £68.5million. More than one club could agree to that fee this summer, giving Bouaddi a pick of clubs.

At just 18 years of age, Bouaddi has gone head-to-head with some of the top midfielders in the world this summer, including Casemiro, and he has looked very comfortable in a Morocco side that asks a lot of midfielders. The African nation play a brand of football that asks midfielders to win back the ball and drive forward quickly, playing with a rapid transition.

The question for United will be whether they feel as though Bouaddi is ready to play week-in, week-out at Premier League level. The Red Devils are only going to sign one midfielder for that kind of money this summer, so they need to be sure about their target being a ready-made starter.

Bouaddi compared to France legend Kante

via Reuters

Morocco boss Mohamed Quahbi has said of Bouaddi this summer: He plays with a lot of maturity and class. He’s the type of player that I always love having in my team. He always plays with his head up and carries himself with real authority. He’s a modern player and is super intelligent – it’s a pleasure to be able to work with him.”

Elsewhere, BBC pundit and former Arsenal and France striker Olivier Giroud has said: “He is a complete player and can perform several roles. He moves everywhere on the pitch. He is a little like Kanté.”

It was one of the most thrilling match-ups of the World Cup so far, but few would have predicted it. Reigning champions Argentina took on tournament debutants Cape Verde and were pushed to their limits.

Lionel Messi opened the scoring with his seventh goal already this summer, but Cape Verde were able to take the game into extra-time thanks to Deroy Duarte’s leveller. Lisandro Martinez once again put Argentina into the lead, but their opponents responded with a stunning goal via Sidny Lopes Cabral.

It looked as though it could go to penalties, but Messi’s corner was flicked in by Cristian Romero, although his effort went down as an own goal after hitting Diney Borges on its way in. Cape Verde were unable to score again, with Argentina holding on for the 3-2 win.

Messi’s Post-Game Chat With Vozinha

REUTERS/Marco Bello

For those watching the game, it felt like the true battle was Messi vs Vozinha, with the heroic Cape Verde goalkeeper thwarting the football legend on multiple occasions. In particular, he stood large to block the Argentines’ right-footed strike when through on goal, while he also made a couple of fine saves from free-kicks, including one which was taken quickly in a cheeky attempt to catch Vozinha out.

After the game, footage circulated online of the pair sharing a moment on the pitch and the 40-year-old goalkeeper has now revealed what Messi said to him during their embrace. As quoted by Yahoo!Sports, Vozinha explained:

Messi Praises Cape Verde After World Cup Meeting

Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports via REUTERS

It’s interesting that Vozinha wanted to make sure he could get his hands on Messi’s shirt after the game, as he wasn’t the only Cape Verde star who wanted a moment with the Argentiian icon. Indeed, in the mixed zone after the game, following the 39-year-old’s interview, a handful of Cape Verde players were seen waiting for the footballing great as they asked for a photo.

Messi was more than happy to oblige, with footage of the moment going viral online. He then spoke about how much respect he had for his opponents, praising their display:

“Honestly, we already knew this was going to be a very difficult match. It wasn’t a coincidence that this team didn’t lose to Spain or Uruguay. Scoring the first goal was the hardest part, and we thought it would help us control the game and play with more calm, but the exact opposite happened.

“We lost possession at times, dropped a little too deep, and couldn’t press them the way we wanted. They took advantage of their strengths and found the equaliser. We knew this was always going to be a complicated game.

“These are knockout matches, nobody gives you anything for free. Some people might underestimate certain teams because of their names, but we knew this was never going to be an easy match. That’s what makes this World Cup so special. Everything is incredibly close, and every single game is extremely difficult.”