White House adviser Andrew Giuliani has accused UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer of putting "people's lives at risk" by intervening to block a proposed kickoff time change for England's World Cup Round of 16 match against Mexico. The accusation came during a talkSPORT interview where Giuliani discussed the safety implications of the decision.
Background of the Controversy
The match, which took place at Mexico City's Azteca Stadium, saw England secure a dramatic 3-2 victory over Mexico. Severe weather was forecast to strike Mexico City, leading to a one-hour delay. However, prior to the fixture, FIFA considered moving the kickoff forward by six hours to avoid thunderstorms. Reports also indicated safety and security concerns after four deaths occurred following Mexico's Round of 32 win over Ecuador.
The proposal was ultimately abandoned after opposition from both English and Mexican authorities. Starmer, who is set to leave his role as Prime Minister, directed officials to oppose the rescheduling after being advised by the English FA that it would limit the time for England to adjust to Mexico City's altitude.
Giuliani's Criticism
Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force on the World Cup and son of former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, said: "I would go and point to something I think is a much graver decision that was made just a couple days ago. Keir Starmer's intervention through diplomatic channels of not allowing the Mexico-England match time to be moved."
He added: "In the round of 32 after the match, three Mexicans died in this celebration. And there were discussions about moving that match time from the evening [6 p.m., local time] to noon so then that way you would have less risk of life to Mexicans." It is worth noting that there is no evidence linking the deaths to weather conditions.
Impact and Aftermath
Giuliani contrasted Starmer's actions with Donald Trump's lobbying of FIFA to have Folarin Balogun's red card rescinded for the USMNT. He stated: "That's far graver when you actually think about the consequences, the potential consequences, that anything that happens on the pitch right there. So I would point you to that and see the immediate precedent in heads of state looking at something that happens potentially on the pitch."
England went on to reach the quarter-finals, where they face Norway. The Three Lions played most of the second half against Mexico with ten men after Jarrell Quansah's dismissal. The World Cup quarter-finals began on Thursday, July 9, with France taking on Morocco.
