Tuchel Reflects on Azteca Grass After England's Thrilling Win

Thomas Tuchel walked out of the Azteca Stadium with a World Cup quarter-final ticket, a famous 3–2 win and one nagging regret: he never tasted the grass.

Speaking in Mexico after England’s round-of-16 victory over the hosts, the head coach admitted in an interview with Daniel Sturridge for an upcoming Football Association feature that the moment almost overwhelmed him. MyJoyOnline reports, citing the BBC, that Tuchel joked he wished he’d gone full romantic and taken a bite out of the turf.

The feeling, he said, stayed with him long after the final whistle.

A Night Tuchel Wants to Keep Forever

Tuchel revealed that once the adrenaline dropped, he messaged a friend, trying to put the scale of the occasion into words. He told them he wanted to keep a piece of that night “within himself forever.”

No wonder. He described the clash at the Azteca as one of the standout episodes of England’s entire World Cup run — a game that swung wildly, demanded everything, and left scars as well as memories.

England had to survive almost the entire second half with 10 men after Jarell Quansah was sent off. The red card turned a tense knockout tie into a siege. Mexico poured forward, the stadium roared, and every England clearance felt like a small victory.

The hosts rarely lose there. This was only Mexico’s third defeat in 90 official matches at the Azteca. England handed them that third one, clinging to their 3–2 lead as the clock crawled.

Celebration Turns Sour With Henderson Injury

The drama didn’t stop with the final whistle.

During the post-match celebrations, Jordan Henderson tumbled over an advertising board and broke his arm. In an instant, the party froze.

Tuchel highlighted that moment as a snapshot of his squad’s unity. Players immediately abandoned their celebrations, rushed to Henderson and formed a protective ring around him, shielding their teammate from the surrounding chaos and crowd.

The injury ended Henderson’s tournament on the spot, a brutal twist on a night that had seemed destined to be pure joy.

England’s Route and What Comes Next

That win in Mexico carried England into the semi-finals, where their run was halted by Argentina. Tuchel’s side responded by beating France in the third-place match, closing the World Cup with a podium finish and a sense of unfinished business.

There’s no time to dwell on nostalgia now. England’s next test comes on September 26, when they open the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League season against reigning world champions Spain.

The Azteca grass is behind them. Spain, and the next standard this England team must meet, are straight ahead.