After Thomas Tuchel beat DR Congo in Atlanta. His mind was already in Mexico City, and he did not like what he was thinking about.
England booked their place in the Round of 16 with a dramatic 2-1 comeback win over DR Congo, with Harry Kane scoring twice in the final fifteen minutes to rescue a match that had looked like it was slipping away.
Brian Cipenga’s seventh-minute strike had handed Congo DR a shock early lead, but Kane struck twice in the final fifteen minutes.
It was the kind of performance that showed England’s character.
Tuchel was honest from the moment the press conference began.
“It is maybe one of the most beautiful fixtures, most exciting fixtures that you can have,” he said.
“We are playing against Mexico in the Azteca, and there will be a lot, a lot, a lot of obstacles waiting for us.
“Not to mention the altitude will be, of course, a big disadvantage, because we cannot physically adapt to it in four days. It is just impossible and more obstacles will maybe come. But we are ready for that.”
The altitude at the Estadio Azteca sits at approximately 2,240 metres above sea level, roughly 7,220 feet.
At that height, players burn through oxygen faster, their legs tire more quickly, and recovery between sprints takes longer.
Mexico have played three of their four World Cup matches at the Azteca already.
Their lungs are ready. England’s are not, and Tuchel knows there is nothing he can do about that in four days.
When asked whether his squad would undergo specialised physical preparation for the altitude, Tuchel was blunt.
“It is not possible,” he said. “The heat and humidity will not be the problem for us, we are used to that from training times and our prep camp in Florida.
“My understanding is that we cannot adapt to the altitude. That is just a huge advantage that Mexico will have.”
The history of the fixture adds another layer of weight to the occasion.
The last time England played a World Cup match at the Azteca was in the quarterfinals of Mexico 1986, when Diego Maradona’s Hand of God and Goal of the Century ended their tournament in the most painful and unforgettable fashion imaginable.
Nearly forty years later, England returns to the same stadium, against the same host nation, in the same knockout round.
Also read: Bottle jobs! Senegal throw away Two-goal Lead, Get Bundled Out of World Cup
Tuchel is also braced for other challenges beyond the physical ones.
Ecuador made an official complaint to FIFA after fireworks were let off outside their team hotel in Mexico City the night before they lost 2-0 to Mexico in the group stage.
“I am not sure if the travel will be smooth, if the sleep will be smooth, if there is noise outside the hotel,” Tuchel added.
He did allow himself one lighter moment.
“Write an excuse for school and let them watch football,” Tuchel told young England fans back home, who will be watching the Sunday match late into the night.
“They have so much school to go to, but the World Cup is every four years.”
England versus Mexico. The Azteca. Sunday night.
Go on JumboBet and find the best offers on the 2026 FIFA World Cup round of 16 fixtures. As a new customer the platforms also gives instant bonuses and a variety of options for the accumulator.
The altitude, the noise, the history and forty years of unfinished business waiting on the other side.
Thomas Tuchel says it is impossible to prepare for what is coming. England are going anyway.
