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England’s players will not have enough time to adapt to the challenges of playing at high altitude before they meet Mexico in the last 16 of the World Cup, according to head coach Thomas Tuchel.
Harry Kane Double with the Democratic Republic of Congo England travel to Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium – around 7,200ft above sea level – on Monday 6 July at 01:00 BST, which you can follow live on BBC TV, radio and online.
At that altitude, the barometric pressure of the earth is lower, making the air thinner and meaning less oxygen is taken into the blood with each breath, which creates obvious problems for the athletes and could be a key factor in the game for England.
Mexico, meanwhile, has played all four of its World Cup games at altitude – three at the Azteca Stadium and the other in Guadalajara – 5,000 feet above sea level, so its players are used to the thin air.
“The height is a big loss because we can’t adapt physically,” Tuchel said.
“It just takes so much time. We only have three days between these matches. It’s just physically impossible to adapt to the height.
“This is a great advantage that Mexico has.
“In four days, it is impossible, more obstacles may come, but we are ready for that.
“This is something we have to face. And I think we’ve shown that we’re ready for that.”
