2 hours ago
3
England’s national football team has received regulatory clearance to use sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, to counteract the punishing effects of playing at 2,200 meters above sea level when they face Mexico at the Estadio Azteca on July 6. The drug, originally developed for cardiovascular conditions, is not on WADA’s 2026 prohibited substances list, making it fair game under anti-doping rules.
Before anyone makes the obvious joke: this isn’t about that. Sildenafil works by dilating blood vessels and improving pulmonary blood flow, which is exactly the kind of physiological boost that matters when your lungs are trying to extract oxygen from thin mountain air.
What altitude actually does to athletes
The Estadio Azteca sits roughly 7,350 feet above sea level. At that elevation, the air contains about 25% less oxygen than at sea level. For footballers accustomed to training in England, where the highest point in London is barely 245 meters, the difference is brutal.
The traditional solution is acclimatization, spending weeks at altitude before competition. But tournament schedules don’t allow for that luxury. England advanced to the Round of 16 after a narrow 2-1 victory over DR Congo, and the knockout stage timeline leaves precious little room for physiological adjustment.
The regulatory green light
The key detail here is WADA’s decision not to include sildenafil on its 2026 banned substances list. That exclusion is what makes the entire conversation possible.
Multiple outlets, including The Sun and talkSPORT, have confirmed that England has the option to deploy the drug. However, there are no indications that manager Thomas Tuchel or any players actually plan to use it against Mexico. Having the option and exercising it are two very different things, and the team appears to be treating this more as a contingency than a game plan.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
English (US) · 