Fans assembled outside the hotel in the early hours of Sunday armed with loudspeakers, horns, drums and fireworks, creating significant noise in what appeared to be an effort to prevent England’s players from getting a full night’s sleep before one of the biggest matches of the tournament.
MEXICO CITY — Police were deployed outside England’s team hotel after dozens of Mexican supporters gathered overnight in an apparent attempt to disrupt the Three Lions’ preparations ahead of their FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match against host nation Mexico.
Authorities established police blockades around the hotel to keep supporters at a distance, but the crowd remained outside for several hours chanting, singing and setting off fireworks.
According to a Reuters post on X, police protected the England national soccer team’s hotel as Mexican fans gathered outside to make noise in an attempt to keep the players from sleeping before the knockout match.
The incident follows a similar episode earlier in the World Cup when Mexican supporters gathered outside Ecuador’s hotel before their Round of 32 match. Ecuador’s football federation later lodged a formal complaint with tournament organizers over what it described as unsporting behavior.
England manager Thomas Tuchel had anticipated the possibility of such tactics and sought to downplay their impact on his squad.
“We have a 6 p.m. kickoff, so if we miss some hours of sleep, we’ll make them up in the late morning,” Tuchel said before the match.
Late-night “serenades” outside visiting teams’ hotels have long been a feature of football in parts of Latin America. While supporters view the gatherings as passionate displays of home support, critics argue they are designed to gain a psychological advantage by disrupting opponents’ rest before important matches.
England enters the Round of 16 after defeating the Democratic Republic of the Congo 2-1, while Mexico advanced by overcoming Ecuador 2-0. The winner will move on to the World Cup quarterfinals to face the winner of the Brazil-Norway encounter.