World Cup 2026: England team faces many challenges in Mexico

England were booed as they arrived at their hotel in Mexico City for their World Cup last-16 match against hosts Mexico - but that is just one of many problems they face here. The match between England and Mexico will take place on Sunday (01:00 BST, Monday) and will be broadcast live on BBC One and iPlayer.

England's team hotel has increased security after Ecuador, who Mexico meet in the round of 32, lodged a noise complaint with FIFA. The England team also had to contend with weather, altitude and, reportedly, even espionage. Before the previous round's match, Ecuador's players were kept awake by local fans who used loudspeakers, trumpets and motorbikes outside the team hotel throughout the night. Mexico won 2-0 in that match.

Ecuador has been staying at the Westin hotel and England want to keep their location a secret, but there have been concerns that the location could be leaked. Hundreds of locals waited outside the hotel when England's team bus arrived on Friday, with many chanting "Mexico" and others booing. Members of the Mexican National Guard stood guard at the entrance to England's team hotel, while police officers in riot gear stood next to fences off the street.

England players and staff will be provided with natural sleep therapies or white noise machines in an attempt to avoid sleep disturbances caused by noise that can be emitted at night. Some people may bring earplugs or eye patches to sleep. England attacking midfielder Morgan Rogers said: "I wouldn't be happy if something woke me up - I'll be honest. We'll see how it goes but we'll handle it as best we can. It's just another setback but we're ready."

In addition to noise, some people also have difficulty sleeping at high altitudes. England arrived in Mexico City two days before the match as FIFA regulations for this stage of the tournament required teams to hold an open training session locally the day before the match. Their preparations were disrupted on Friday by a chaotic five-and-a-half hour period when it emerged that FIFA was considering moving the match six hours earlier due to forecast storms. The English Football Federation and the Mexican Football Federation were very angry at this proposal with less than 48 hours left before kick-off, and the match will take place as originally scheduled.

Although the match remains at 18:00 local time, this is still dependent on the weather - delays are possible. Mexico's final match against Ecuador at the same venue was delayed by an hour due to thunder and lightning. "Daily storms are normal in Mexico City at this time of year - but the forecast shows the risk on Sunday is particularly high, and if these storms develop they could be very severe," said BBC weather presenter Ben Rich. "On Sunday, these storms are likely to bring frequent lightning, and there is also a risk of hail. Storm activity typically peaks at or shortly after the day's temperatures reach their highest - in the late afternoon and into the evening, which could impact opening times.

Moving the kickoff earlier could allow the match to take place before the most severe storms emerge - although this is certainly not guaranteed." A postponement would not be good news for the players, the spectators in attendance... or the millions of fans in England staying up late for the match.

The England team also faces the challenge of playing at high altitude. Mexico City has an average altitude of about 2,240m above sea level, which means less oxygen is available. Ideally, athletes should live at this altitude for one to two weeks to allow their bodies to adapt and produce more red blood cells. England had only arrived in Mexico City two days before the match. Their first training session took place at 16:00 local time (23:00 BST) at La Cantera. Meanwhile, the co-hosts have played all of their matches so far at high altitude - with one in Guadalajara (1,500m above sea level) and three at Azteca - so their players should have adapted. "Maximum aerobic capacity at this altitude is typically reduced by about 10%, and this affects performance," Dr. said Barney Wainwright, senior research fellow at Leeds Beckett University. "Maximum running speed will not be affected, but players will need more time to recover after each run and continue playing." Tuchel admitted his team will be at "a lot of disadvantages because we cannot physically adapt to this." According to the Daily Mail, one reason Britain postponed the trip from their base in Kansas City, Missouri to Mexico City was to avoid espionage. England trained on Friday at their camp in the US - as they have done between matches throughout the tournament. However, an additional day in Mexico City may have been beneficial in this case. But Tuchel reports that he wants to ensure any tactics he tests in training remain secret. The article said England's training ground in Kansas City was better protected by police and bodyguards from potential espionage than La Cantera, which is the Pumas' training ground in Mexico City.

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