3 min readJul 5, 2026 02:09 PM IST
When the English football team arrived in Mexico for the quarter-final clash, they expected a treatment like it was meted to the Ecuador national team.
Ecuador, beaten 2-0 by Mexico in the round of 32, were unable to sleep before the match day after Mexican fans came with loudspeakers, motorbikes and horns outside their hotel and disrupted their sleep. The Ecuador team also lodged an official complaint with FIFA.
However, England’s coach Thomas Tuchel said that the home fans have been friendly and respectful. “We had no issues tonight and I think Fifa took care of the situation,” head coach Tuchel was quoted by BBC Sport. “We have security around the hotel so we expect a good night’s sleep.I don’t want to talk about problems that don’t exist yet. If they come, we will accept them. The best way to approach it is to be relaxed and calm.”
The team trained under enhanced security measures with Mexico’s National Guard entrance to England’s hotel, while police officers in riot gear stood next to barriers on the road outside.
Tuchel said that there were some problems due to altitude but in terms of fans, he was pleasantly surprised.
“It was even nicer than I expected.What I experienced until now was very respectful and emotional and very supportive towards our teams, so we are very respectful towards everyone. We expect to be treated with respect and that was the case,” he said.
“It is just what it is. We cannot physically adapt, it is impossible. But we are here at least one day before to experience it,” Tuchel said about the altitude problem.
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The English football team shares a historic relation with the Azecta Stadium where they are scheduled to play Mexico.
It is the same venue where Argentine legend Diego Maradona scored two goals that would stay in the history books forever: the ‘goal of the century’ and the infamous ‘hand of the god’.
“This will be a proper World Cup match. We are in an iconic place, an iconic stadium and a massive knockout game. It is a big stage and we feel it. It makes you sharper and brings the best out of you. It makes you feel alive,” said Tuchel.
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