Thomas Tuchel has made England's World Cup last-16 tie with Mexico feel like more than a football match. His line about parents writing an excuse for school and letting children stay up lands against a 1am BST kick-off on Monday morning, and it is hard to miss the point he is making about the scale of the occasion.
Harry Kane is on a different line of thought, but the same game. He says Mexico's altitude is "a huge advantage" and that England do not have enough time to adapt, with only three days between matches.
Tuchel's school-night message
Tuchel's strongest message was not about shape, pressing or selection. Speaking to goal.com, he said: "Write an excuse for school and let them watch football. They have so much school to go to, but the World Cup is every four years. Let them watch, there will be a big, big match in four days and we need the support of everyone and especially of the children."
He repeated the same idea to express.co.uk, saying: "Write an excuse for school and let them watch football. The World Cup is only every four years and we need everyone's support, especially the children."
That is the angle Tuchel seems happiest to sell here. England will still have to deal with Mexico's form, but the manager is clearly trying to wrap the game in a wider sense of occasion, the kind that reaches past the usual Monday-night audience.
The altitude issue at the Azteca
The football concern is real enough. Tuchel told metro.co.uk: "The altitude will be a big disadvantage because we cannot physically adapt to it. It just takes too much time. We have only three days in between these matches. It's physically just not possible to adapt to the altitude."
Kane was just as blunt: "My understanding is we cannot adapt to the altitude. It's a huge advantage Mexico have. There's not enough time. We knew that before. It's just a disadvantage with which we will have to deal."
The venue is listed as sitting over 2,000 metres above sea level in one source, while Metro puts it at approximately 2,240 metres. Either way, this is not a normal away trip. Mexico have 0 goals against and 9 points from their 3 World Cup matches, and England have conceded 2 goals in 3 group matches.
Kane's own form gives England a way through. He has 5 World Cup goals in 4 appearances this season, and against Congo DR he needed every bit of that edge. Brian Cipenga gave Congo DR a shock lead inside seven minutes, before Kane struck twice in the final 15 minutes to secure the win.
That is why England can still go into this tie with some belief. Tuchel has chosen to sell the occasion, Kane has chosen to stress the obstacle, and both are probably right. Mexico's home conditions look awkward, and England's answer still starts with Kane finding another late finish.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →