Tuchel reveals grass-eating regret after England's emotional World Cup win over Mexico

Thomas Tuchel has admitted he regrets not eating the grass from the pitch after England’s 3-2 World Cup last-16 victory over Mexico, describing the moment as so emotionally charged he wanted to carry something from it “in my body forever”.

England edged past joint-host Mexico in a pulsating round-of-16 tie, with Jude Bellingham scoring twice in two minutes before Julian Quinones pulled one back. Harry Kane converted a penalty after Jarell Quansah was sent off in the second half, and Raul Jimenez reduced the deficit again, but the Three Lions held on to advance to the quarter-finals.

Speaking to the FA’s official website, Tuchel pointed to a moment after the final whistle as the clearest sign of the squad’s unity. When Jordan Henderson fell and broke his arm during the post-match celebrations, every England player immediately stopped and formed a protective circle around their teammate. “It was just so special,” the Germany coach said.

“I texted a friend after the match and I just wrote that I regret that I didn’t eat some grass after the match to keep something in my body forever,” Tuchel added. “That was the feeling. That was the moment.”

England went on to defeat Norway and reach the semi-finals before suffering a painful exit against Argentina. Rather than dwelling on that defeat, Tuchel says the experience has strengthened the bond between him and his players and sharpened the squad’s hunger for a first major trophy in decades.

“There’s a huge bond to these players, it feels like they are my players now,” he said. “This is the beauty of it, when you have a manager and you have success and you have painful moments together. You have so much time together and you create a natural bond.”

Tuchel also outlined his ambitions heading into the next cycle, suggesting the upcoming European Championship represents a realistic target. “I think we got another step closer and I think we’re there,” he said. “We had ten matches in the US — eight wins, one draw, one painful loss. That is something to build on. We have all the right to hold our heads high and go with courage and positivity into the next challenges.”