Tuchel calls on parents in England: 'Write a letter to the school'
England coach Thomas Tuchel has urged parents not to let their children miss school to support the team at the World Cup. Additionally, he expressed concern about the conditions in Mexico and their possible impact on the team's performance.
By Javier Navarro
July 2, 2026 at 11:29 PM
England will play their round of 16 match in the World Cup against Mexico on the night of Sunday to Monday. Coach Thomas Tuchel has called for English youth to stay active and support the team. "Write a letter for the school if necessary," declared Tuchel at the press conference after the victory over the Democratic Republic of the Congo. "There is enough time to go to school, but a World Cup only happens every four years. Let the children watch the game. In four days we will have another big match and we will need everyone's support, especially the youngest ones." Tuchel has also expressed fears that the conditions in Mexico represent a considerable disadvantage for England. While Mexico has played all its World Cup matches at high altitude and is accustomed to the atmosphere there, England, according to its coach, will not have time to adapt. "The altitude will be a big drawback, as we physically cannot adapt to it. There is simply not enough time. We only have three days between games, and that is not enough to acclimatise to the altitude." After the tough victory over Congo, England will return to a stadium that brings back painful memories. In the round of 16, the team will face host country Mexico at the iconic Azteca Stadium, the same venue where England were eliminated forty years ago by Argentina following Diego Maradona's famous "Hand of God." The 1986 quarterfinal match became one of the most talked about in football history. Maradona opened the scoring with a goal scored with his hand, which went down in history as the "Hand of God." Just a few minutes later, the Argentine achieved the "Goal of the Century" by eluding almost the entire English team from his own field. Gary Lineker managed to score for England in the final minutes, but the team lost 2-1. Argentina was later crowned world champion.