Thomas Tuchel Reflects on England's Historic Win in Mexico
Thomas Tuchel jokes he should have eaten the grass. He is only half joking.
In the thin air of Mexico City last summer, England produced one of the great away wins in their history, a 3-2 World Cup last-16 victory over hosts Mexico with 10 men. The tournament would eventually end in semi-final heartbreak, but that night carved itself into Tuchel’s memory – and, as he tells it, almost into his bloodstream.
“I texted a friend after the match and I just wrote, I regret that I didn't eat some grass after the match to keep something from this in my body forever,” the England manager told former England striker Daniel Sturridge in an interview for the Football Association. “That was the feeling. That was the moment.”
A night that changed everything
The drama of the game spoke for itself: hostile crowd, altitude, a red card, and England hanging on, then striking decisively. But for Tuchel, the real story came after the final whistle.
The players sprinted to celebrate in front of their fans. In the chaos, Jordan Henderson vaulted an advertising hoarding, landed awkwardly and broke his arm. The mood flipped in an instant.
“This game had so much of what you could wish for,” Tuchel said. “If you needed any proof of what it meant to these players and how they were with each other, it was the moment when Jordan fell over and broke his arm.
“Within a second, the players were there. Every single player was there stopping the celebrations, building a shield, protecting Jordan – not going nowhere, in full empathy. It was just so special.”
That circle of players around Henderson, celebrations paused, is the image Tuchel carries with him. Not the goals. Not the noise. The instinct to protect one of their own.
From World Cup pain to Euro ambition
England’s World Cup run ended in the semi-finals, a “painful” conclusion in Tuchel’s words, but the manager believes nights like Mexico have forged something lasting.
“It created a huge bond to these players,” he said. “It feels like they are my players now. This is the beauty of it.
“You have success and you have painful moments together, but you have so much time together and then you create a natural bond. So I'm happy to see them. I'm happy to challenge them, happy to push them, and very proud to be a part of that.”
Tuchel wants that bond to carry England into Euro 2028 qualifying and beyond. The tournament will be co-hosted by England, and the sense of a cycle building is clear in his words.
Nations League as the launchpad
Before thoughts turn fully to 2028, there is more immediate business. England return to action later this month with a Nations League Tier One clash at home to world champions Spain.
They then travel to Croatia and face the Czech Republic home and away during the upcoming international break. Tuchel will name his squad on Friday, and his anticipation is obvious.
“I'm very excited,” he said. “I think we got another step closer and I think we're there.
“It's very difficult to prepare for a World Cup in the US, but I think it's possible to prepare for a Euros and we prepare in Nations League Tier One.
“The target is to have another 10 matches. We had 10 matches in the US – eight wins, one draw, one painful loss. That is something to build on.
“We all have the right to hold our heads high and go with courage and positivity into the next challenges. We have four matches in Nations League coming up, and that's where the focus is.”
Mexico gave Tuchel a night he wanted to bottle. The next question is whether that same spirit can carry England through another brutal cycle – this time all the way to a home Euros.
