England manager Thomas Tuchel has revealed he regrets not eating the grass at the Azteca Stadium after his side beat co-hosts Mexico at the World Cup.
The Three Lions secured a dramatic 3-2 victory in the last-16 encounter despite being reduced to ten men following a red card for Jarrell Quansah.
Reflecting on the match in an upcoming Football Association documentary film titled Reflections: England's World Cup journey, Tuchel shared the unusual text message he sent shortly after the final whistle.
"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'," Tuchel said. "That was the feeling. That was the moment."
Team unity and player injury
"This game had so much of what you could wish for," added the German coach, whose team held on during a tense finish before their tournament run was brutally ended by Argentina in the semi-finals.
Tuchel pointed to a crucial moment in the match when player Jordan fell over and broke his arm as evidence of the deep unity within the squad.
"If you needed any proof of what it meant to these players and how they were with each other, it was the moment Jordan fell over and broke his arm," Tuchel said.
"Within a second, the players were there. Every single player was there stopping the celebrations, building a shield, protecting Jordan, not going anywhere, in full empathy. It was so special."
The monumental victory was celebrated across England by supporters who stayed up into the early hours of the morning to watch the game live.
Background and upcoming fixtures
The Football Association, the governing body of English football, appointed Tuchel to lead the national team with the goal of ending a major trophy drought that stretches back to 1966, when England won the World Cup on home soil. The Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, where the last-16 tie took place, is one of world football's most famous venues, having previously hosted two World Cup finals.
Tuchel will now lead England into a home European Championship in two years. He believes the squad is in a stronger position following their World Cup campaign to secure a major trophy.
"It feels like they are my players now, it's something to build on," Tuchel said. "I'm very excited. I think we got another step closer and I think we're there."
England return to action with the first international break of the season fast approaching. They will face World Cup winners Spain on September 26 in the first of four UEFA Nations League matches.
The national team will also play Czechia twice, with a fixture against Croatia taking place between those two matches.
Tuchel is scheduled to announce his squad for the upcoming fixtures this Friday.
