John Stones has shed light on the viral prank that briefly concerned England manager Thomas Tuchel during a post-match celebration. The incident occurred after England's 3-2 victory over Mexico, where Stones feigned a shoulder injury, leading Tuchel to react with apparent worry.
Inside the team's changing room, Stones was seen holding his shoulder and flexing his arm, prompting Tuchel to approach him with concern. However, as the music dropped, Stones revealed the prank by celebrating, much to the relief and amusement of his teammates and the manager. The moment quickly gained significant traction on social media, accumulating over 40 million views.
"I didn't think it would get that much traction to be fair," Stones commented when asked about the prank by England's in-house media. He added that he "tried to keep a straight face" to make the deception more convincing. The prank followed an unrelated incident where midfielder Jordan Henderson sustained a minor injury after falling while jumping over advertising hoardings. Stones noted that the atmosphere in the dressing room was positive, with players relieved after Henderson's mishap.
Stones, who has featured in England's recent matches against Croatia and DR Congo, came on as a substitute against Mexico. England is scheduled to play Norway in the quarter-finals in Miami on Saturday.