‘The Viagra helped!’ - Jordan Henderson jokes about bizarre reports regarding England’s preparations for facing Mexico at altitude in World Cup last-16

England manager Tuchel and midfielder Henderson dismissed online speculation that the squad could use Viagra to help deal with the high altitude in Mexico City. The drug is not prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), prompting reports that it could be considered as an aid. Away from the light-hearted exchange, England have begun adapting to conditions around 2,000 metres above sea level ahead of their World Cup last-16 meeting with Mexico.

Tuchel quickly rejected the suggestion before Henderson turned the moment into a joke. The veteran midfielder quipped that "the Viagra helped" before immediately clarifying he was joking. Tuchel was first asked about the reports during his pre-match media duties and brushed them aside with a smile.

"The information to support it didn’t reach me, so that’s not true," Tuchel told reporters.

Henderson then continued the joke before making it clear he was not being serious.

"Well, the Viagra helped, I think… I’m joking! It was a joke," Henderson joked.

Speaking about the conditions more seriously, Henderson admitted the altitude was noticeable from the moment the squad arrived, saying: "You can feel it a little bit, you can feel something. I felt it a little bit, even when you just land and you come to the hotel and you’re just walking around, you can feel something. And then today, in training, for me personally I felt that maybe in the first 10-15 minutes and then once training got going I stopped thinking about it so much and just concentrated on training."

Tuchel also acknowledged the impact of the altitude, revealing he had experienced "a bit of a headache" and struggled to sleep since arriving, while players immediately noticed the thinner air during training. Henderson insisted England would not use the conditions as an excuse.

"We just come here to do our job, and that’s to be the best version of ourselves, to be together, to compete, to give everything for each other and the nation back home, to make them proud and to try to win a football game," Henderson explained.

"Everything that we can’t influence, like kick-off times or altitude or stuff at the hotel, is not in our control, so we just have to find solutions, which we’re pretty good at. So for us it’s about full focus on our job ahead, no excuses."

England now turn their full attention to a World Cup last-16 showdown with Mexico at the Estadio Azteca. The iconic venue adds further significance to the occasion, while the hosts head into the contest with a perfect record in the tournament.