A video shared to X by the account @therealmissjo showed Mexico fans gathered outside England's team hotel overnight, making noise in an apparent attempt to disrupt the squad's rest before their World Cup match.
"This is really very sad," the account wrote, adding, "I really hope that England thrashes Mexico."
Dozens of fans gathered outside the JW Marriott hotel in the Santa Fe area of Mexico City until the early hours of Sunday morning, according to ESPN.
This is really very sad.
— Miss Jo (@therealmissjo) July 5, 2026
Mexico fans are making a massive noise in the middle of the night outside the hotel where the England team are staying in an attempt to keep them awake at night.
I really hope that England thrashes Mexico. pic.twitter.com/vwaJZId19J
The outlet reported that fans arrived armed with loudspeakers, horns, and fireworks, continuing the noise despite police blockades set up around the building.
The following day, England defeated Mexico 3-2 at Estadio Azteca in a World Cup round of 16 match.
According to ESPN's recap of the game, Jude Bellingham scored twice in under two minutes during the first half, becoming the first player since Diego Maradona to score two goals for a visiting team in a World Cup match at the venue.
The result marked England's first World Cup victory over Mexico at the Azteca, a stadium where the team had never previously won in 10 attempts. It also ended Mexico's unbeaten run in the tournament, a stretch in which the team had not conceded a goal heading into the match.
The nighttime disruption tactic, known as a "serenata," had already been used earlier in the tournament against Ecuador before Mexico's 2-0 win over that team, according to ESPN. The Ecuadorian Football Federation filed a formal complaint with FIFA over what it called "extra-football actions" as a result of that incident.
The England squad was unfazed by the impact of the noise ahead of the Mexico match. The BBC reported that the disruption had "minimal impact on the players".
Reactions to the video largely criticized the fans' approach and the response from local authorities. One commenter wrote, "What a scummy thing to do and the police let them. Appalling behavior."
The Aussies did the same to the England rugby team in 2003 before the World Cup final. Can only be fear. England won. Let’s hope that happens again.
— Kate (@RowdyKate2) July 5, 2026
Another commenter drew a comparison to a past incident involving a different sport, recalling, "The Aussies did the same to the England rugby team in 2003 before the World Cup final," and noting that England won that tournament as well.
A separate commenter criticized the fans' conduct, writing, "For the love of the game. Fairness and FairPlay is something we take very seriously. Yet they were trashed with their trashy behavior."
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the specific footage described in the original post. The match details and outcome above were confirmed through ESPN and BBC.
