England-Mexico World Cup 2026 Round of 16: Rice injury doubts and FIFA sanction threat

England’s coach Thomas Tuchel says midfielder Declan Rice is likely to start the Round of 16 match against Mexico despite ongoing hamstring and lower‑back problems. Rice played the full 90 minutes against the Democratic Republic of Congo but was pulled off in injury time, and his fitness for the upcoming game remains uncertain. Tuchel also noted that right‑back Reece James may miss the match due to a hamstring injury.

Mexico secured a historic 2‑0 victory over Ecuador to reach the knockout stage for the first time in more than four decades. However, FIFA is considering disciplinary action after some Mexican supporters sang a homophobic chant during the match. The chant violates FIFA’s anti‑discrimination rules and could lead to fines, limits on stadium attendance, or other penalties for the Mexican Football Federation.