Thomas Tuchel has shared a unique sentiment regarding England’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Mexico during the World Cup last July. In an interview for the FA’s upcoming production, ‘Reflections: England’s World Cup Journey’, the England boss confessed that his emotional connection to the win was so profound he wished he had sampled the stadium grass to preserve the memory physically.
The victory at the Azteca Stadium was particularly significant, marking only the third time in 90 competitive matches that the co-hosts have suffered defeat at the venue. Tuchel’s side achieved the result despite playing much of the second half with ten men following Jarell Quansah’s dismissal. The squad eventually progressed to the semi-finals, where they were defeated by Argentina before securing third place by beating France.
Tuchel highlighted the team’s reaction to Jordan Henderson’s tournament-ending injury as a defining moment of unity. Henderson broke his arm after falling over an advertising hoarding during the post-match celebrations. According to the German manager, the sight of every player instantly abandoning their celebrations to form a protective shield around Henderson provided clear evidence of the deep bond within the group.
Reflecting on his tenure, Tuchel expressed confidence that the World Cup campaign solidified his rapport with the squad, noting that the group now truly feels like his own. He views the performance as a vital foundation for future success as he aims to end England’s wait for a major senior men’s trophy dating back to 1966.
Looking ahead, Tuchel remains focused on the 2026-27 Uefa Nations League, which begins with a fixture against reigning World Cup champions Spain on 26 September. With the 2028 European Championships also on the horizon, the manager believes his team has taken a significant step forward. He stated that the squad is closer than ever to reaching their ultimate goals. The report also notes that despite playing much of the second half with 10 men following Jarell Quansah’s red card, his Three Lions beat the co-hosts 3-2 in the last-16 tie in July. The report also notes that he said: “I texted a friend after the match and I just wrote, ‘I regret that I didn’t eat some grass after the match to keep something from this in my body forever’. The report also notes that building a shield, protecting Jordan, not going anywhere, in full empathy, every single player was there stopping the celebrations.
