Impossible for England to acclimate to altitude for World Cup match against Mexico, Tuchel says

Impossible for England to acclimate to altitude for World Cup match against Mexico, Tuchel says 1 of 5 | England players huddles after the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between England and Congo in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard) 2 of 5 | England head coach Thomas Tuchel reacts during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between England and Congo in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman) 3 of 5 | England’s Harry Kane, left, celebrates with Jude Bellingham after scoring their first goal during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between England and Congo in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) 4 of 5 | Mexico players react following the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Mexico and Ecuador in Mexico-city" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="1779" data-entity-type="location">Mexico City, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) 5 of 5 | Fireworks go off above the stadium during the opening ceremony before the start of the World Cup Group A soccer match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico-city" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="1779" data-entity-type="location">Mexico City, Thursday, June 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) 1 of 5 | England players huddles after the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between England and Congo in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard) 1 of 5 England players huddles after the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between England and Congo in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 2 of 5 | England head coach Thomas Tuchel reacts during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between England and Congo in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman) 2 of 5 England head coach Thomas Tuchel reacts during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between England and Congo in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 3 of 5 | England’s Harry Kane, left, celebrates with Jude Bellingham after scoring their first goal during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between England and Congo in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) 3 of 5 England’s Harry Kane, left, celebrates with Jude Bellingham after scoring their first goal during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between England and Congo in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 4 of 5 | Mexico players react following the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Mexico and Ecuador in Mexico-city" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="1779" data-entity-type="location">Mexico City, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) 4 of 5 Mexico players react following the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Mexico and Ecuador in Mexico-city" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="1779" data-entity-type="location">Mexico City, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 5 of 5 | Fireworks go off above the stadium during the opening ceremony before the start of the World Cup Group A soccer match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico-city" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="1779" data-entity-type="location">Mexico City, Thursday, June 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) 5 of 5 Fireworks go off above the stadium during the opening ceremony before the start of the World Cup Group A soccer match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico-city" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="1779" data-entity-type="location">Mexico City, Thursday, June 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] Atlanta (AP) — From the altitude of Mexico-city" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="1779" data-entity-type="location">Mexico City to the memories of Diego Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” goal, England will have to contend with brutal conditions and the weight of history when it plays co-host Mexico at the World Cup on Sunday.The Azteca Stadium — the site of the round of 16 game and the scene of Maradona’s memorable goal against England in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals — sits at more than 7,300 feet (2,200 meters) above sea level. With little time to acclimate, conditions are against England’s team and very much in favor of Mexico, which is undefeated in 10 World Cup games at its home stadium over three tournaments.“My understanding is that we cannot adapt to the altitude. That is just a huge advantage that Mexico will have,” England coach Thomas Tuchel said. “It just takes too much time.”For elite athletes to perform at their peak at high altitude, a period of adaption is required to reduce fatigue caused by lower atmospheric pressure and reduced oxygen availability. Sports scientists generally recommend an extended acclimation period of at least two weeks, or the “fly-in, fly-out” method of arriving as close to game time as possible before acute symptoms set in. England, which arrived early to the United States and held a pre-tournament training camp in Florida to prepare for high temperatures at this year’s World Cup, will fly out from its base in Kansas City to Mexico on Friday. 3 MIN READ 3 MIN READ 1 MIN READ While Tuchel accepts altitude is an unavoidable problem, the much-criticized hydration breaks could be a crucial factor. He used them to help turn the momentum of England’s round of 32 match against Congo, rallying to a 2-1 win after conceding early. “I make the most of it,” Tuchel said. “You know that I don’t really love them, I enjoy football more when it plays out with momentum ... but of course they are here and why would I not try to take advantage?” The Azteca holds painful memories for England. Argentina eliminated the 1966 champions in the quarterfinals at that stadium 40 years ago in a game that featured two iconic moments from Maradona. He scored one goal with his hand and another that many believe was the best in tournament history after running from the halfway line and dribbling past several England players before beating goalkeeper Peter Shilton.Tuchel said fate would be on England’s side four decades later.“We will get it back. It’s karma,” Tuchel said. “Karma will come back for us. We will turn it around.”___James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson___See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here