Prime Minister Keir Starmer reportedly intervened to prevent England's round-of-16 World Cup clash with Mexico from being rescheduled to an earlier kick-off time. The match, originally set for 1am on Monday UK time (6pm local time) at Mexico City's Azteca Stadium, faced a proposed shift to 7pm Sunday evening (midday local time) due to forecast thunderstorms and fan safety concerns.
FIFA's Proposed Change and Starmer's Response
FIFA's plan to move the game emerged on Friday evening, but was scrapped late that night after Starmer urged the Football Association (FA) to resist. According to a spokesperson quoted by The Sun, “The Mexicans were really talking up the storm and were pressing to move the game. But Keir was having none of it and suspected they were trying to derail the England preparations by giving less time to adapt to the altitude, so he put his foot down.” The FA had contacted Downing Street to gauge support for the change, but Starmer opposed it.
Emergency Law for Pubs
Earlier, the soon-to-depart Prime Minister had passed an emergency law allowing pubs to open until 5am so fans could watch the match live. The decision to keep the original kick-off time meant fans could still attend pubs under this law.
England's Victory and Quarter-Final Prospects
England beat Mexico at the Azteca Stadium, advancing to a quarter-final against Norway in Miami. Manager Thomas Tuchel praised his team: “A heroic performance and a heroic result. I’m so happy with the players, and also for me, to live this experience in the last two days. Such a special memory, and against all the adversity it makes it very special for us. If a team has heart and belief then it’s this team. They did it on pure will. No words. Iconic match, iconic stadium, we overcame so much adversity today.”
A win against Norway would send England to the semi-finals for only the second time since 1990. Their likely opponent would be Argentina, who face Egypt in the round-of-16, with the winner meeting either Colombia or Switzerland.
