England’s World Cup clash with Mexico was moved forward
England’s next World Cup clash has been brought forward, after thunderstorms were forecast to batter Mexico City.
The match had been due to kick off at 1am UK time on Monday morning, but fans will now tune in hours earlier after FIFA reportedly made the rare decision to change the start time to 7pm UK time on Sunday night. Horror weather maps and forecasts suggested major thunderstorms and heavy rain were forecasts to batter Mexico City around the original kick-off.
Forecasts showed almost 5mm of rain falling over the Banorte Stadium, which is more commonly known as the Azteca, with a huge band of stormy weather stretching across the Mexican capital. Under tournament safety rules, any lightning strike detected within an eight-mile radius of the stadium triggers an automatic 30-minute delay to play.
A similar threat caused disruption elsewhere at the tournament. France’s group-stage clash with Iraq was delayed by more than two hours after severe weather hit Philadelphia.
FIFA’s World Cup regulations also give organisers the power to “cancel, reschedule or relocate” fixtures “at its sole discretion”, allowing matches to be moved if safety concerns arise. Asked about the possibility of a schedule change before FIFA confirmed the decision, England winger Marcus Rashford admitted it was “not ideal” but insisted the squad would be ready.
He said: “I think for us it’s the same how we prepare for the game – it has to be the same. We have to be focused. We have to be ready for anything. I think it’s one of our strengths as a group.
“Everyone, including the players and staff… we are ready for whatever challenges get thrown at us. So obviously it’s not ideal but also it doesn’t really matter.”
The late switch came just days after Keir Starmer confirmed pubs across England and Wales would be allowed to stay open until 5am if needed so supporters could watch England’s overnight World Cup fixtures.
The Prime Minister relaxed alcohol licensing laws, meaning pubs and bars no longer needed to apply for special late licences. England’s clash in Mexico City had originally been expected to finish after 3am UK time, with the possibility of running even later if it went to penalties.
