'Mexico, Mexico!': Fans Blast Horns And Bang Drums Outside England Team Hotel; Video Goes Viral

Mexico supporters gathered outside the England team hotel late on Saturday night in an apparent attempt to disrupt the visitors' preparations ahead of their FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 showdown. Fans arrived with horns, drums and loud music despite heavy rain and a massive police deployment.

Mexico fans create ruckus despite police presence

Around 50 fans assembled outside the five-star hotel in the south-western suburbs of Mexico City shortly after midnight local time. Chanting "Mexico, Mexico, Mexico", they were kept well away from the hotel by an extensive security cordon.

The operation involved roughly 300 police officers equipped with riot helmets and shields, who outnumbered the supporters by a significant margin. Authorities maintained a buffer of around 500 metres between the crowd and the hotel throughout the gathering.

Despite the noise, England's players were unlikely to be seriously affected as they had reportedly been issued earplugs as a precaution. The distance between the fans and the hotel also reduced the chances of the late-night gathering disturbing the squad's rest.

Ecuador repeat?

The scenes closely resembled an incident earlier in the tournament before Ecuador's Round of 32 clash against Mexico. Mexican fans had gathered outside Ecuador's hotel, playing loud music and revving car engines in an effort to keep the opposition awake.

Subsequently, the Ecuador Football Association lodged an official complaint with FIFA, accusing Mexico of "unsporting conduct". FIFA subsequently decided to move England to a different hotel ahead of the knockout fixture in an effort to avoid a repeat of the controversy.