Thomas Tuchel has spoken candidly about England's FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign in a new FA documentary, admitting he wished he had eaten grass from the Azteca pitch after England's dramatic last-16 win over Mexico — and insisting the experience has forged a lasting bond between him and his squad.

The film, titled Reflections: England's World Cup Journey, was released exclusively on the England app on Wednesday 16 September. In it, Tuchel sits down with former England international and Sky Sports pundit Daniel Sturridge to revisit a summer that ended with England finishing third, following a semi-final defeat to Argentina.

The Azteca moment

England's most celebrated performance of the tournament came against Mexico in Mexico City, where they held on with 10 men for more than 35 minutes and still won 3-2. The occasion left a lasting impression on Tuchel.

"I texted a friend after the match and I just wrote, 'I regret that I didn't eat some grass after the match to keep something from this in my body forever'," he said.

Tuchel also pointed to the reaction of his players when Jordan Henderson fell and broke his arm during the post-match celebrations as a defining image of their collective spirit.

"Within a second, the players were there, every single player was there, stopping the celebrations, building a shield, protecting Jordan and not going nowhere in full empathy. It was just so special," said Tuchel.

Silence, meditation, and manifestation

The build-up to the Mexico game had been dominated by concerns over altitude at the Azteca stadium and potential weather disruptions — concerns that proved well-founded when kick-off was delayed. Yet Tuchel describes a sense of calm settling over the squad during their training session in Mexico City.

"In the middle of Mexico City and we arrived and it's an oasis, it's so peaceful, it's an unbelievable pitch and it is so calm," he said. "They came out from the gym straight out on the pitch, they were having phone calls, walking around, it was such a peaceful energy."

That energy gave birth to a team motto. "We came up with this line of 'silence is powerful'," Tuchel explained. "We will play against the whole nation, the stadium, it's almost impossible to win in the stadium, no one has ever done it before in a World Cup match. So let's enjoy the silence, the power of the silence. We even had five minutes on the match day of meditation and manifestation of the last whistle."

Kane, Bellingham, and an exciting future

Tuchel was effusive about Harry Kane, crediting the Bayern Munich striker's transformation since his move to Germany. "He found another level in his game, but also as a personality," said Tuchel. "The finishing is out of control good."

On Jude Bellingham, Tuchel was equally glowing. "He was one of the players of the tournament, not only for us, but of the whole tournament. He lived up to his full potential — you could just see what a competitor, what a machine he is."

With the Nations League and Euro 2028 now on the horizon, Tuchel says the FIFA World Cup 2026 experience has brought him closer to his players than ever before. England face world champions Spain in the Nations League during the next international break.

"It created a huge bond to these players, it feels like they are my players now," he said. "We've got another step closer and I think we're there. I'm very excited to work with these players."

Tuchel also expressed confidence that preparing for Euro 2028 would be more straightforward than the logistical challenges of a World Cup hosted across the United States. "The target is to have another 10 matches. We had 10 matches in the US — eight wins, one draw, one painful loss — but that is something to build on," he said. "We have all the right to hold our heads high and go with courage and positivity into the next challenges."