England face a challenging path that could lead them back to Mexico, a location Hurst remembers well from the 1970 tournament. The Three Lions find themselves in Group L alongside Croatia, Ghana and Panama, and will kick off their World Cup campaign against the Croatians on June 17. Hurst cautioned that the climate and conditions will test the technical security of the current crop, noting that ball retention will be the deciding factor in whether England can successfully navigate the tournament.
“It’s going to be very difficult, particularly in Mexico. I’ve played there. The technique needed to keep hold of the ball, not give it away. Chasing the ball on a hot day in Mexico becomes quite hard and it can take you longer to get the ball back. That’s the biggest issue, I think, for English players playing there as we experienced in 1970,” Hurst explained, drawing on his experience from the quarter-final exit against West Germany over 50 years ago.
