What happened the last time Bukayo Saka played at altitude as England prepare for Azteca test

England travels to the iconic Estadio Azteca to face Mexico in the Round of 16 World Cup tie. Naturally, fans are writing off England's chances due to the severe altitude that some players might not be used to.

While the altitude pales in significance, we have seen Bukayo Saka play in a high-altitude stadium before, and it didn't seem to faze him too much.

What happened when Bukayo Saka last played at altitude

The last time Bukayo Saka played at altitude was in 2021, when England faced Andorra in qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.

The game was played at the Estadi Nacional, one of the highest-altitude professional football stadiums in Europe. The city itself is a large factor in the stadium's altitude.

Andorra 0-5 England: 9 October, 2021
Venue: Estadi Nacional, Andorra la Vella
Altitude: Approximately 1,020-1,050 metres (3,350-3,450 ft) above sea level.
Competition: 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying.
Saka started and scored England's second goal in the win.

In the game, Bukayo Saka started for England, and he scored England's second goal. It was a comfortable win for England, even given the altitude.

Can professional players deal with altitude changes?

Of course, being just over 1,000 metres above sea level is not comparable to the Azteca. The Azteca is around 2,240 metres above sea level, for context.

So, it will be a new condition for Bukayo Saka and his England teammates, which will include Declan Rice, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze.

However, an important nuance to this conversation is this: We are talking about professional athletes. They spend each waking moment focused on maintaining their health and maximising performance.

They are not average joes, so the altitude should not play nearly as much of a role as people make out.

The unspoken part of Mexico's Azteca form

Mexico are considered unbeatable at the Azteca, and the record shows that. Across the last 89 games at the Azteca, Mexico has lost just twice. However, that statistic needs some valuable context.

The best footballing nations do not play at Azteca Stadium competitively. A large chunk of those 89 games have been against CONCACAF nations, since this is Mexico's qualifying pool.

In fact, since 2018, only seven Mexico games have been played at the Azteca. Of course, the record remains impressive, but it is not immediately not relevant to England visiting the Azteca this weekend because of that.

If England are to lose to Mexico, it will be because Mexico are a great team in 2026. Any record they hold from before, let's face it, 2020, is not relevant at all to this match.

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