Stones tricks Tuchel with fake shoulder injury after England's World Cup qualification

John Stones convinced Thomas Tuchel he had suffered a shoulder injury in the Estadio Azteca dressing room, just minutes after England qualified for the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup at Mexico’s expense (3-2).

With Declan Rice’s complicity, the Manchester City defender grimaced and held his right shoulder while the squad celebrated the victory to music. The prank lasted only a few seconds before Stones reassured his manager about his health, but the scare was real for Tuchel, already tested by two pieces of bad news late in the match.

England had indeed finished the game with ten men after Jarell Quansah’s red card, and Jordan Henderson suffered a wrist injury trying to climb over an advertising board to celebrate the qualification with English supporters. These absences could weigh heavily in the next round.

The Three Lions will face Norway in the quarter-finals, after the Scandinavians eliminated Brazil (2-1). Despite the incidents, the atmosphere within the England squad appears to be in good spirits, and Tuchel can be satisfied with a hard-fought qualification against a Mexico side that made things difficult until the end.