The England manager, Thomas Tuchel, urged parents to allow their children to stay up late on Sunday to watch the match against Mexico, which is part of the World Cup Round of 16. After a victory over the DR Congo, secured with a brace from Harry Kane, England is set to face Mexico early Monday morning at 01:00 (Lisbon and London time). In England, summer holidays have not yet started for many, but Tuchel requested an exception. ‘Write a note to the school and let them watch the game. There’s plenty of school ahead, but the World Cup only comes around every four years. Let them watch!’ Tuchel emphasized the importance of support from the younger generation. ‘There will be a big game in four days, and we need everyone’s support, especially from the kids,’ he added. The match will take place at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, approximately 2,200 meters above sea level. Tuchel admitted that the team will not have enough time to adapt to the challenging altitude conditions, which could be a disadvantage for the match. In contrast, Mexico has played all four of its World Cup matches at altitude, three of them at the Estadio Azteca and one in Guadalajara (around 1,500 meters), so their players are already accustomed to these conditions. ‘The altitude will be a big disadvantage because we cannot physically adapt to it,’ Tuchel stated. ‘It takes too long. We only have three days between these games. It is physically impossible for us to acclimatize to the altitude.’ Studies indicate that athletes need one to two weeks to acclimatize, but the England team will only arrive in Mexico City two days before the match. ‘That is a huge advantage that Mexico will have,’ the coach emphasized, although he assured that the team is prepared for the challenge. ‘It’s something we will have to deal with. And I think we have shown the attitude that we are ready for it.’
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