England arrived in Mexico City on Friday evening knowing they would be playing two opponents in their World Cup last-16 tie: a formidable Mexico side and the thin air of the Azteca, which sits 2,240 metres above sea level. The stadium is a fortress – Mexico have not lost there since 2013 – and the altitude, as Thomas Tuchel admitted, makes adaptation “impossible” to achieve fully.
“We feel it even if we don’t train,” the England manager said after Saturday’s training session at the Club Universidad Nacional complex, accessible only by tunnel in the city’s southern reaches. “I felt, for example, a slight headache in the hotel through the day and didn’t sleep as well as in the days before, but nothing you can’t handle.” The players, he added, coped better as the session went on, but the first minutes were challenging.
“England face Mexico at high-altitude Azteca with Tuchel seeking to overcome altitude, history, and a low-block strategy.”
Tuchel, however, radiated confidence. “We are not here for revenge,” he said, alluding to England’s painful history at the Azteca, including the 1986 Hand of God defeat. “We are here to write our own chapters, the team is ready, we are in good spirits.”
Tactically, England have struggled against low blocks in the tournament – most notably a 0-0 draw with Ghana. Now Tuchel may turn that weapon back on Mexico. Bayern Munich assistant coach Rene Maric explained that a team can “set the board” defensively to force the opponent into a style they can counter. Mexico, who have won every game so far without conceding, switch between four and five defenders and can dominate possession or sit deep.
Tuchel’s selection decisions add further intrigue. All players except Reece James, nursing a hamstring injury, trained in full. Jarell Quansah, who missed the win over DR Congo with an ankle problem, is available and could start at right-back.
One player certain to feature is Jude Bellingham, the 23-year-old midfielder who has two goals and an assist in the tournament. His former England youth coach Richie Kyle described him as “a man beyond his years” at 16. “He was so mature … it was like speaking to a 28-year-old sometimes,” Kyle told Mirror Football. “He would stand up and tell the group what we should have done and how we can improve.”
With a quarter-final place at stake, England know that conquering the altitude and the Azteca will require a performance as mature as their young star.