Mexico City, July 5 (IANS) England manager Thomas Tuchel has said that his side will embrace the challenge of facing co-host Mexico in front of a partisan crowd in their 2026 FIFA World Cup round-of-16 match.

The 1966 winner, England, will meet Mexico in a match to be played at the Estadio Azteca on Monday morning (IST). England head coach Tuchel says his side is up for the challenge.

The German said his players had already soaked up the atmosphere after arriving in the Mexican capital on Friday afternoon.

“As soon as we arrived, you could feel the energy of the place,” Tuchel told a news conference on Saturday. “You see the people on the streets and outside the hotel straight away. It makes you sharper. It makes you feel alive. Every detail is at the highest level, and you can see the excitement in everyone’s eyes. It’s a next-level setting.”

Mexico has won each of its four matches in the World Cup to date, including three at Mexico City Stadium.

Around 80,000 fans are expected for the match, and while Tuchel knows most will be supporting Mexico, he insisted his team was unfazed by the prospect of playing at the iconic venue, reports Xinhua

“It will be full of emotion, but I don’t expect hostility. Everyone we’ve met has been respectful,” Tuchel said. “A stadium like this can give the home team belief and momentum, and we expect that. But we have very experienced players who compete in the toughest leagues and in the Champions League. They’re used to playing in these kinds of environments.

“We expect Mexico to start with intensity. We’ll need to find answers to those challenges, and I’m confident we can.”

Mexico has yet to concede a goal in this tournament, topping its group with three wins before overcoming Ecuador 2-0 in the round of 32.

England also finished top of its group with two wins and a draw, and recovered from a goal down to beat the Democratic Republic of the Congo 2-1 in the first knockout round.

Tuchel said he and his coaching staff had studied Mexico closely, adding that England would be ready for any scenario. “Mexico is now a top-10 team in the FIFA rankings,” he said. “They’ve had good results not only at this World Cup but since March.

They’re flexible tactically. They can switch between defensive systems, from a low block to a high press, very fluently. “They attack with a lot of players through the middle, their wingers come inside, they rotate constantly, and can play through [Raul] Jimenez to build their attacks. Tomorrow we’ll need the best version of ourselves, both offensively and defensively, if we’re going to beat Mexico.”

The former Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich boss played down the possibility that Mexico City’s altitude of 2,240 meters above sea level would affect his side.

“The players felt it during the warm-up today, but they adapted quickly,” he said. “It’s no coincidence that Mexico starts games aggressively. If we can get through the opening 10 minutes, I think we’ll be in a good place.

“The altitude is what it is. The crowd is what it is. Neither is to our advantage. What matters is our spirit, our commitment, and the togetherness within the team. That’s why I’m optimistic. We’ll all feel the conditions tomorrow, but that’s also part of the beauty of the occasion. We’re focusing on what we can control,” said the England head coach.

–IANS

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