World Cup serenade: Mexican fans blast horns outside hotel to disrupt England players' sleep - AP News

1 of 3 |  The England team bus arrives at a hotel in Mexico City ahead of England’s World Cup round of 16 soccer match against Mexico, Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) 2 of 3 |  Fans take photos as the England team bus arrives at the hotel where they will stay in Mexico City ahead of its World Cup round of 16 soccer match against Mexico, Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) 3 of 3 |  England’s Jude Bellingham gets off the bus at the hotel where England will stay in Mexico City ahead of its World Cup round of 16 soccer match against Mexico, Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) 1 of 3 |  The England team bus arrives at a hotel in Mexico City ahead of England’s World Cup round of 16 soccer match against Mexico, Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) The England team bus arrives at a hotel in Mexico City ahead of England’s World Cup round of 16 soccer match against Mexico, Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More 2 of 3 |  Fans take photos as the England team bus arrives at the hotel where they will stay in Mexico City ahead of its World Cup round of 16 soccer match against Mexico, Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) Fans take photos as the England team bus arrives at the hotel where they will stay in Mexico City ahead of its World Cup round of 16 soccer match against Mexico, Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More 3 of 3 |  England’s Jude Bellingham gets off the bus at the hotel where England will stay in Mexico City ahead of its World Cup round of 16 soccer match against Mexico, Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) England’s Jude Bellingham gets off the bus at the hotel where England will stay in Mexico City ahead of its World Cup round of 16 soccer match against Mexico, Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More By  CARLOS RODRÍGUEZ Updated : , ,   Leer en español  Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share (function () { const counter = document.getElementById("scrollToComments"); const HEADER_OFFSET = 120; function findCommentsModule() { return document.querySelector('.vf3-comments, #vf-conversations, '); } function maybeShowCounter() { if (findCommentsModule()) { counter.style.display = "inline-flex"; } else { counter.style.display = "none"; } } // Show only when Viafoura is present maybeShowCounter(); // Watch DOM for late loads const observer = new MutationObserver(maybeShowCounter); observer.observe(document.documentElement, { childList: true, subtree: true }); // Scroll action counter.addEventListener("click", function () { const el = findCommentsModule(); if (!el) return; const top = el.getBoundingClientRect().top + window.scrollY - HEADER_OFFSET; window.scrollTo({ top, behavior: "smooth" }); }); })(); .thin-line-button { display: inline-flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; border: 1px solid #ccc; height: 30px; padding: 0 10px; cursor: pointer; border-radius: 5px; background: none; text-align: center; font-size: 1.4rem; font-weight: 700; white-space: nowrap; flex-shrink: 0; color: inherit; transition: none; /* Remove animation effect */ } .thin-line-button { color: #000; background: white; } /* Remove hover effect */ .thin-line-button:hover { border: 1px solid #ccc; } .comment-icon { width: 20px; height: 20px; min-width: 20px; min-height: 20px; flex: 0 0 20px; object-fit: contain; display: inline-block; } .Page-actions-commentCounter .embed-caption { display: none; } .vf-comments-count.vf-is-logged-in { margin-left: 4px; } MEXICO CITY (AP) — Despite police blockades, dozens of Mexican fans gathered outside the England national team’s hotel until the early hours of Sunday morning, hoping to disrupt players’ sleep ahead of their World Cup round-of-16 match against co-host Mexico. Armed with loudspeakers, horns and fireworks, the crowd gathered outside the JW Marriott hotel in Santa Fe, in the western part of Mexico City and did its best to disturb the guests. Earlier in the week, “El Tri” supporters deployed the same tactics before a crucial match against Ecuador — Mexico won 2–0 — prompting the Ecuadorian football federation to file a formal complaint with organizers. England manager Thomas Tuchel anticipated the disruption but downplayed its potential impact. “We have a 6 p.m. (Sunday) kickoff, so if we miss some hours of sleep, we’ll make them up in the late morning,” Tuchel said on Saturday. These late-night hotel “serenades” are an entrenched and polarizing tradition in Latin American football. While they began as a passionate display of support for the home team, they have increasingly evolved into a psychological weapon designed to deprive opponents of sleep. See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here