A secret hotel, natural sleep remedies... England's strategy against the nuisance caused by Mexican fans

Three days before their World Cup round of 16 match in Mexico on Monday (2 a.m.), England are worried about a noisy and disruptive reception from local fans. They have taken several measures to try to counter potential disturbances outside their hotel.

Altitude isn't England's only concern before heading to Mexico for their World Cup round of 16 match on Monday (2 a.m. CET). The English are set to face the co-hosts at the Azteca Stadium, perched at 2,240 meters (8,000 feet). But before putting their bodies to the test with the lack of oxygen, the Three Lions are meticulously preparing for another obstacle: the boisterous welcome awaiting the home fans. Having lost to Mexico in the round of 32 (2-0), Ecuador filed a complaint with FIFA after witnessing a horde of cars parking and honking their horns outside the players' hotel rooms the night before the match. Numerous fireworks were also set off during the night.

England will spend two nights there

To avoid this, the English delegation has kept its location secret. However, it still fears the news will leak on social media. According to the BBC, the team's logistics team has planned natural remedies to help the players find sunlight, as well as white noise machines to ensure restorative silence for players who haven't brought their own.

Thomas Tuchel's men also have to contend with a change in protocol for the round of 16. FIFA now requires teams to travel to the host city two days before the match – not just the day before – to hold a training session partially open to the public. Harry Kane and his teammates will therefore have to spend two nights there, further complicating matters related to nighttime noise.

Added to this is the significant challenge of playing at altitude, a point immediately highlighted by Thomas Tuchel after the victory against DR Congo (2-1). It is estimated that athletes need approximately one to two weeks of acclimatization to allow their bodies to adjust and produce more red blood cells. The English team will have only two days at the stadium, while the Mexicans have played all four of their group matches at altitude: three in Mexico City (2,240m) and one in Guadalajara (1,566m).

"The altitude will be a major disadvantage because we can't physically adapt to it," Tuchel lamented. "And in four days, it's simply impossible. Other obstacles could arise, but we're ready to face them. If I understand correctly, we won't be able to adapt to the altitude. That's a considerable advantage for Mexico. It just takes too much time. We only have three days between these matches. It's physically impossible to adapt to the altitude, which is quite high. We already knew that. It's a situation we'll have to deal with. And I think we've shown that we're ready to deal with it."