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World Cup Serenade: Mexican Fans Blast Horns Outside Hotel to Disrupt England Players' Sleep
Fans used loudspeakers, horns and fireworks in a late-night effort to keep England players awake before the round of 16, officials said.
On Sunday morning, dozens of Mexican fans gathered outside the England national team's JW Marriott hotel in Santa Fe, Mexico City, wielding loudspeakers, horns, and fireworks to disrupt players' sleep before the World Cup round-of-16 match.
Earlier this week, supporters deployed identical tactics before Mexico's 2-0 win against Ecuador, prompting the Ecuadorian football federation to file a formal complaint; these late-night "serenades" are an entrenched Latin American tradition.
England manager Thomas Tuchel downplayed the disruption on Saturday, stating, "If we miss some hours of sleep, we'll make them up in the late morning" regarding the 6 PM Sunday kickoff.
Heavy police presence surrounded the team hotel throughout the night to mitigate disturbances, while Tuchel considers a positional change for Declan Rice to optimize England's attack against co-host Mexico.
FIFA World Cup 2026 stakes escalate as both Mexico and England advance through knockout rounds, with the round-of-16 winner moving closer to the tournament championship.
Mexican fans performed a serenade in front of England's CDMX concentration hotel with music, chants and fireworks prior to the 8th final of the 2026 World Cup.