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Jordan Henderson has brushed aside the unusual rumours suggesting that the England squad were taking Viagra to manage the high-altitude conditions ahead of their World Cup round-of-16 tie against Mexico. The midfielder shared a laugh about the reports, while both he and manager Thomas Tuchel acknowledged the real challenges posed by the altitude in Mexico City.

England dismiss odd altitude reports

England manager Thomas Tuchel and midfielder Jordan Henderson downplayed online speculation that the team might use Viagra to help adapt to the thinner air in Mexico City. Although the drug is not banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and thus theoretically could be considered, both men made it clear that no such measure was being taken. In the meantime, England have been acclimatising to the conditions at around 2,000 metres above sea level as they prepare for their World Cup last-16 fixture against Mexico.

Tuchel and Henderson respond to the rumours

Tuchel was the first to refute the suggestion before Henderson turned the topic into a moment of light-hearted humour. The experienced midfielder jokingly said, “The Viagra helped,” before quickly clarifying that he was only joking. Tuchel, when questioned about the subject during his pre-match press conference, dismissed the claim with a smile.

“The information to support it didn’t reach me, so that’s not true,” Tuchel told journalists.

Henderson then joined in the banter, adding, “Well, the Viagra helped, I think… I’m joking! It was a joke,” making sure everyone knew he was not being serious.

On a more serious note, Henderson admitted that the altitude had been noticeable from the moment the England team landed. “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,” he explained.

England focused, not making excuses

Tuchel also mentioned that he had experienced “a bit of a headache” and had trouble sleeping since arriving, while several players noticed the effects of the thinner air during their training sessions. Despite these difficulties, Henderson made it clear that England would not let the conditions serve 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 said.

“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.”

A major test in Mexico City

England now set their sights firmly on their World Cup last-16 clash against Mexico at the famous Estadio Azteca. The historic setting adds extra significance to the encounter, with the hosts entering the match boasting a flawless record so far in the tournament.