Thomas Tuchel revealed that after England's victory at Estadio Azteca, he regretted not taking a piece of the pitch as a memento.

The 3-2 victory over Mexico in the Round of 16 last summer was one of the tournament's highlights. Tuchel discussed the experience in detail in a new documentary produced by the FA.

Tuchel told Daniel Sturridge on the programme "Reflections: England's World Cup Journey," which airs on Wednesday, that he still thinks about taking a piece of grass back to England's base in Kansas City. Tennis legend Novak Djokovic keeps grass from Centre Court every time he wins the Wimbledon singles title.

"I texted a friend after the game," Tuchel said. "I wrote just one sentence: I'm sorry I didn't take the grass after the game so I could have a piece of that match inside me forever. That was the feeling at that moment. That was the instant."

Tuchel considered the match against Mexico one of the tournament's highlights, particularly the moment when players rushed to Jordan Henderson after he fell while celebrating, breaking his wrist and being ruled out of the remaining matches.

"That game had almost everything you could hope for," Tuchel said. "If you want to show how much this team cares for each other, that moment is the best proof. When Henderson fell and broke his arm, the players rushed in immediately. Everyone was there. They stopped celebrating instantly. They formed a wall. They protected Henderson. Nobody left. It was genuine empathy. That moment was very special."

Tuchel said England's tournament – in which they were beaten by Argentina in the late stages of the semi-final – will provide a foundation for continuous development ahead of Euro 2028. This is the German coach's first public statement since returning with the team from the United States on July 18, when they beat France in a playoff to finish third. He said he is now focused on the UEFA European Championship in two years, hoping to take the team on a long and successful tournament run.

"I'm looking forward to working with these players and the young newcomers who will come into camp and learn," Tuchel said. "I feel we've taken another step. I feel like we're at that point now. Preparing for the FIFA World Cup in the United States was very difficult, but I think preparing for Euro is feasible. We will continue preparing in Nations League League A.

"The goal is to play another 10 games. We played 10 games in the United States (including two warm-ups before the FIFA World Cup): won 8, drew 1, lost 1. Although that loss was painful, it's a foundation we can build on. We all have reason to look ahead and face the next challenge with courage and a positive attitude. We have 4 more Nations League matches during the three-week international break coming up, and that's our current focus."

England will host World Cup champions Spain at Wembley on Saturday, September 26, in a Nations League group-stage match.

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