England take action to avoid Mexico Spygate episode as World Cup plan emerges

England take action to avoid Mexico Spygate episode as World Cup plan emerges England will go into the lion's den on Monday when they face World Cup co-hosts Mexico, and Thomas Tuchel is taking extra precaution before the round-of-16 game England have delayed their trip to Mexico City ahead of Monday's World Cup knockout match amid concerns over another Spygate. The Three Lions are currently preparing to face the tournament co-hosts at the iconic Estadio Azteca at 1am UK time on Monday for a place in the quarter-finals. After Harry Kane inspired a second-half turnaround to beat DR Congo 2-1, England flew from Atlanta back to their training camp in Kansas City. Some have questioned why Thomas Tuchel's squad didn't fly straight to Mexico in order to adapt to the climate. The Azteca sits 2,240m above sea level, something which Tuchel has described as a 'huge advantage' for Mexico. But it's emerged that one of the main reasons why England will only travel on Friday is their fear of being spied on. A report from the Mail states that Tuchel wants to work on his tactics for the game in a secure environment to avoid potential spies. England have so-far ensured that all of their tactical sessions were well-guarded, away from prying eyes. Get the latest World Cup 2026 news in your inbox with our Make Football Great Again newsletter In Kansas City, where England's players will continue returning after each knockout game should they progress, security guards are stationed at various points on the perimeter of the training ground. Police officers are also stationed there. How Middlesbrough would've liked to have such protection before a Southampton analyst spied on one of their training sessions ahead of the Championship play-offs in May. That led to the infamous Spygate saga which resulted in Southampton losing their spot in the final and Middlesbrough replacing them, only to lose 1-0 against Hull City at Wembley. Will England beat Mexico? Give us your prediction in the comments section. Playing in Mexico raises other potential issues for England. In the round of 32, Mexico hosted Ecuador, whose football association have filed a formal complaint after locals set off fireworks and used air horns, drums, motorbikes as well as loud music outside of their team hotel in the early hours before their 2-0 defeat. England are keeping the location of their hotel a secret, with Tuchel saying after beating Congo in the round of 32: "We will expect that (noise outside the hotel). But what can we do? We will bring earplugs. I expect everything." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.