Tuchel reveals a strange secret from the night of Mexico: I still regret it
England manager Thomas Tuchel has admitted he felt "regret" for not eating a piece of the Azteca Stadium turf after his side's thrilling 3-2 win over hosts Mexico in the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup, moved by the extraordinary atmosphere and the historic setting.
The German spoke at length to former forward Daniel Sturridge for a documentary produced by the English Football Association, "Reflections: England's World Cup Journey", which airs on Wednesday. His wish echoed the famous habit of Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic, who always eats some of the grass from Centre Court in London after winning Wimbledon.
Recalling the moment, Tuchel told The Athletic: "I sent a text message to one of my friends straight after the match, and I wrote to him: I feel regret because I didn't eat some of the grass after the end of the game, so I could keep something of this moment and this history inside my body forever. That was the overriding feeling in that exceptional moment."
For Tuchel, the Mexico clash ranked among the most memorable stops on the Three Lions' World Cup run. He pointed above all to the moment his players rallied around captain Jordan Henderson, who suffered a wrist fracture during the celebration that ended his tournament.
"That match carried everything you could hope to see in football," Tuchel said of that emotional scene. "If you needed any proof of how tight-knit these players are and the strength of their bond, it would be that moment when Jordan Henderson fell and suffered a fracture in his arm. In a single second everyone stopped celebrating and every player gathered to protect him and show him complete sympathy. It was a very special situation."
England's run ended in a semi-final defeat to Argentina before they won the bronze medal in Miami on 18 July. Speaking in his first media appearance since returning home, Tuchel called the current progress an excellent "foundation stone" for Euro 2028.
"I am very excited to work with these players, and excited to call up new young elements so they can learn within the camp," Tuchel said of the road ahead. "I believe we have moved one extra step closer to the top, and we were actually there already. It was very difficult to prepare for the World Cup in the United States, but it is possible to prepare more strongly for the Euro, and we will make use of the top tier of the UEFA Nations League to get ready.
He signed off by setting out his targets: "The goal is to play 10 more strong matches. In the United States we played 10 matches, we achieved 8 wins, a single draw and one painful defeat, but this is something we can build on. Everyone has the right to hold their heads high and move forward with courage and positivity towards the coming challenges, and we are now focused on our four fixtures in the UEFA Nations League."
England return to competitive action against world champions Spain on 26 September in the group stage of the UEFA Nations League.
