Thomas Tuchel has urged his England players to remain composed amidst a chaotic lead-up to their World Cup round-of-16 match against Mexico.
Upon arrival in Mexico City on Friday, the team faced uncertainty regarding the kickoff time for their match at the Azteca Stadium on Sunday. This followed FIFA’s consideration, but eventual decision against, moving the game six hours earlier due to concerns over fan safety and predictions of severe thunderstorms.
To help the players adapt to the altitude—Mexico City sits at 2,240 meters above sea level—the Football Association scheduled an earlier arrival than usual. The team held training on Saturday to acclimatize to the conditions.
After Ecuador lodged a complaint with FIFA regarding disruptions during their stay prior to a loss against Mexico, England attempted to keep their training base confidential.
In addressing the situation, Tuchel remarked, “There’s often a lot of noise, but within the bubble, it feels calm and focused. The more significant the stage, the more subdued the preparation becomes. I believe the players were unaware of any potential kickoff changes, which illustrates the importance of keeping our composure.”
“We cannot control certain aspects—like landing in Mexico three and a half hours later while the kickoff time remains unchanged. It’s simply not worth getting flustered. The altitude is a reality, and the presence of the home crowd is another challenge—we must adapt,” he said. “We need to embrace these hurdles, and I have faith that our unity and commitment will help us navigate them. We know what lies ahead, and even if the players feel the pressure, that’s part of the beauty of this experience. Our focus should remain on what we can influence.”
During their training session at Pumas UNAM’s facility, Tuchel acknowledged that the players felt the altitude but believes they will acclimatize as the game progresses.
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“We are definitely feeling the effects,” he added. “For instance, I experienced a slight headache while in the hotel and didn’t sleep as well as I could have. But it’s something manageable. The players seemed to struggle a bit during the early parts of training, but as it went on, they adapted better. There’s no physical way for us to fully acclimatize, but by arriving a day earlier, we can mitigate some of the first-time experiences during tomorrow’s warm-up. We must prepare for the flight of the ball and the shortness of breath we might encounter.
“It’s not a coincidence that Mexico usually starts their home matches very strongly and aggressively, so the first 15-20 minutes could be quite challenging for us. However, once we get past that and have a taste of the altitude during training, I believe we’ll be in a good spot.”
With heightened security at the England team’s hotel, Tuchel was asked if he was concerned about the potential for a poor night’s sleep due to disturbances from Mexican fans.
“We had no issues last night,” Tuchel responded. “I trust that FIFA has managed the situation well, and we have security in place, so I expect a restful night before the 6 p.m. kickoff. If our sleep is a bit disrupted, we’ll have the opportunity to catch up in the late morning.
“I don’t want to focus on potential issues that haven’t occurred. So far, the atmosphere has felt respectful, emotional, and supportive towards our team.”
“We respect our opponents and the significance of this match, and we hope to be treated with the same respect, which we have received so far. Discussing any potential problems at this stage seems pointless. If they arise, we will deal with them. That’s the mindset we need for the entire tournament. It’s a demanding competition, and our best strategy is to stay calm and centered while focusing on our performance.”