Tuchel dismisses security fears and praises Mexico fans ahead of Azteca last-16 clash

Thomas Tuchel has moved to calm fears over England’s safety in Mexico City, describing the welcome his squad received on arrival as “very respectful and emotional” ahead of Monday’s World Cup 2026 last-16 tie against the host nation at the Azteca Stadium.

Concerns had been raised after Ecuador complained to Fifa earlier in the tournament about Mexican supporters gathering outside their hotel before a round-of-32 match, blaring music from loudspeakers, revving motorbikes and honking horns through the night. Fifa responded by stepping up security arrangements for England, with members of Mexico’s National Guard stationed at the entrance to their hotel and police officers in riot gear positioned outside.

Tuchel, speaking at his pre-match press conference, was unequivocal in brushing aside those worries. “We had no issues tonight and I think Fifa took care of the situation,” he said. “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 England manager added that the atmosphere he had encountered since landing in Mexico had exceeded his expectations. “What I experienced until now was very respectful and emotional and very supportive towards our teams,” he said. “We are very respectful towards everyone. We expect to be treated with respect and that was the case. It was even nicer than I expected.”

England face a formidable set of challenges beyond the crowd. The Azteca sits at more than 2,200 metres above sea level, and the physical toll of playing at altitude is a well-documented factor in knockout football. Mexico arrive in the last 16 buoyed by confident performances in front of their home support, adding further edge to what Tuchel acknowledged will be a stern test.

“This will be a proper World Cup match,” he said. “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.”

With a 6pm local kick-off, Tuchel also noted that any lost sleep from late-night noise would be manageable. “If we miss some hours of sleep we will have time to get some other hours in the late morning,” he said.