England's Minor Tournaments and Cups
Ciudad de México Cup Tournament and Azteca 2000 Tournament, México, 1985

Notes

These tournaments served as a trial run for the host nation and the participating teams a year ahead of World Cup 1986.   As England manager Bobby Robson stated in the Football Association's brochure for the "summer tour" to México and the U.S.A., where England met the host nation in Los Angeles immediately after the tournament matches in México:

"England's results in the World Cup qualifying matches and other internationals during 1984-85 have been highly encouraging, and the way the team has performed has given every reason for confidence in the future.

"The matches in Mexico this summer will go a long way to prepare us for the World Cup finals in which we sincerely hope we will be participating and will enable us to renew old acquaintances with our friends from Italy, the Federal Republic of Germany and, of course, Mexico.

"None of the England squad has first-hand knowledge of the strains of World Cup football in climactic conditions very different to those we experience at home.  Their education begins now as we test ourselves at the World Cup venue against national teams of the highest quality.

"This tour, including the match in Los Angeles, is important because it gives me an opportunity to confirm my judgement of the players whose skill, talent, imagination, physical shape, attitude and character fit them for a World Cup place.  All in all we couldn't have a more useful series of international matches."

Some confusion surrounds the status of the tournament matches in México.  México played against Italy, England and West Germany at Estadio Azteca.  England also played against the other three teams at Estadio Azteca.  Italy and West Germany, however, each played only México and England; they did not themselves meet. 

Ron Hockings and Keir Radnedge, in Nations of Europe, vol. 1, pp. 198, 307, vol. 2, pp. 27-28 (1993), label all the matches "CITY TOURN." Mike Payne, in England: The Complete Post-War Record, pp. 262-64 (1993), says England's matches against Italy and Mexico were part of a three-team tournament called "Aztec 2,000" and that England's match against West Germany was a stand-alone friendly. Both the Green Flag Team England website results list and Michael Heatley and Ian Welch, in England Football, p. 33 (1996), label England’s matches against Italy and Mexico as part of an unnamed tournament and indicate the West Germany match was a friendly. The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistical Foundation Archive's Mexico results list states that Mexico’s match against Italy was for the México City Cup and that Mexico's matches against England and West Germany were part of the "Azteca 2000 Tourn." 

A history of events at Estadio Azteca appearing on the website of Mexican communications giant Televisa makes the following clear:  two tournaments were played, México and England took part in both, Italy took part only in the first and West Germany only in the second.  Apparently México’s match with England was part of both.

Both England: The Complete Post-War Record, p. 263, and the Deutscher Fussball-Bund [German football association] website have the attendance at England's match with West Germany as 8,000, but Nations of Europe, vol. 1, p. 198, puts it at 10,000.  

Sources

Green Flag Team England official website

Heatley, Michael & Ian Welch, England Football, p. 33 (Dial House, Shepperton, Surrey, England, 1996)

Hockings, Ron & Keir Radnedge, Nations of Europe, vol. 1, pp. 198, 307, vol. 2, pp. 27-28 (Articulate, Ernsworth, Hampshire, U.K., 1993)

Leatherdale, Clive, England: The Quest for the World Cup—A Complete Record, pp. 232-33 (Two Heads Publishing/Desert Island Books, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, U.K., 1994)

Payne, Mike, England: The Complete Post-War Record, pp. 262-64 (Breedon Books Publishing Company, Derby, U.K., 1993)

RSSSF [Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistical Foundation] Archives, International Country Results, Full Record of International "A" Games by Mexico’s National Team [Macario Reyes Padilla]

Televisa website

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