Tuchel's Azteca regret after England's epic win over Mexico
Thomas Tuchel wishes he had eaten the grass at the Azteca Stadium.
The England head coach said his one regret from the 3-2 World Cup win over Mexico in July was not copying his players and taking a bite of the famous pitch. He spoke to former England striker Daniel Sturridge for the FA film 'Reflections: England's World Cup Journey', as reported by BBC.
It was a last-16 tie, a straight knockout game with a quarter-final place at stake. England led, then held on with 10 men for much of the second half after defender Jarell Quansah was sent off.
Mexico were joint-hosts of the tournament and the Azteca in Mexico City is one of the hardest away grounds in football. Thin air at altitude leaves players gasping, and more than 80,000 home fans made it loud. Tuchel had said before the game that England would not use altitude or the crowd as excuses and that his team were ready to write their own chapter in an iconic match.
They needed every bit of that mindset. Tuchel switched to a five-man defence, a back line with three central defenders flanked by two wing-backs, bringing on Dan Burn and Djed Spence to survive 11 minutes of stoppage time.
The 3-2 win was historic. It was only Mexico's third defeat in 90 competitive games at the Azteca, and the first time they had ever lost a World Cup match there after four previous wins. Tuchel put it down to "pure mentality and heart", according to Reuters.
There was a cost. Veteran midfielder Jordan Henderson broke his arm falling over an advertising hoarding while celebrating and missed the rest of the tournament.
England's run started with a 4-2 win over Croatia and ended with a semi-final defeat by Argentina, then victory over France in the bronze medal match, the play-off for third place. Tuchel said afterwards "it feels like they are my players now".
What makes this stand out is the tone. Tuchel is not talking tactics or systems. He is talking about memory, about wanting a physical souvenir of a night when strangers back home felt the same lift at the same time. For fans picking it up on a phone months later, it still lands because everyone understands wanting to hold on to a good night.
England return on 26 September against Spain. The game is their opening fixture in the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League, a competition played between major tournaments that groups Europe's national teams by level.
