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England midfielder Jordan Henderson has hit out at reports claiming the England squad used Viagra to cope with the high-altitude conditions in Mexico City ahead of their FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match against Mexico at Estadio Azteca.The rumors emerged after reports suggested the drug could be used to help players cope with high-altitude conditions. Viagra is not banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which has led to speculation that some teams may consider it a performance-enhancing drug.England head coach Thomas Tuchel was first asked about the reports during his pre-match press conference and was quick to dismiss them.“The information to support that has not come to me, so it is not true,” Tuchel told reporters.Henderson then responded in a light-hearted way before making it clear he was joking.“Well, the Viagra helped, I think… Just kidding! It was a joke,” Henderson joked.Away from the exchange, Henderson admitted that England’s players have noticed the effect of playing at high altitude since arriving in Mexico City.“You can feel it a little bit, you can feel something. I felt it a little bit, even when you just land and come to the hotel and just walk 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 when the training started, I stopped thinking about it so much and just concentrated on training,” he said.England have been preparing for the conditions ahead of their clash against Mexico, with the Estadio Azteca situated around 7,220 feet (2,240 metres) above sea level.At that altitude, the thinner air contains less oxygen, making it difficult for players’ bodies to circulate oxygen effectively during physical activity.England face Mexico in the round of 16, with the hosts expected to enjoy home support and familiarity with high-altitude conditions.
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