England's World Cup last-16 clash against Mexico will kick off as planned despite concerns over adverse weather in Mexico City. Thomas Tuchel's side will face the tournament co-hosts at the iconic Estadio Azteca on Sunday at 6pm local time (1am BST on Monday), with FIFA opting against bringing the match forward after discussions with relevant stakeholders.
FIFA Reverses Earlier Decision to Change Kick-Off Time
Reports emerged on Friday night the game could be moved to an earlier 12pm local kick-off (7pm UK time) because of the threat of storms in the Mexican capital. It caught England and Mexico off guard, with both FAs said to be stunned FIFA was set to change the start time of the match. Tense talks followed before FIFA confirmed the kick-off time will remain the same, although the situation will continue to be monitored. It means UK fans will likely be left disappointed as they are forced to stay up until 3am and beyond to watch the entire match.
Safety Protocols and Regulations
Under FIFA safety protocols, any lightning strike within an eight-mile radius of the stadium would trigger an automatic 30-minute delay, with the countdown restarting if further lightning is detected. FIFA's World Cup regulations also state the governing body has the authority to "cancel, reschedule or relocate" matches at its discretion for reasons including force majeure or health, safety and security concerns.
Players and Pundits React
Speaking ahead of the game, England midfielder Morgan Rogers insisted any late change would make little difference to the squad's preparations. "It's just another obstacle to overcome," he said. "We'll be ready regardless of the time. I'm not concerned about it, but won't be happy if it wakes me up, I'll be honest. We'll deal with it as best as possible. It's another obstacle to get over."
Marcus Rashford echoed those sentiments, saying England must simply adapt to whatever challenges arise. "I think for us it's the same, how we prepare for the game," Rashford said. "It has to be the same, we have to be focused, we have to be ready for anything. I think it's one strength of the group, everyone included, the players, the staff, we're ready for whatever challenges get thrown at us. Obviously it's not ideal, but also it doesn't matter."
Former England defender Gary Neville questioned the prospect of FIFA moving the fixture at such short notice, describing it as a potential issue for sporting integrity. "For our players it's worse, it's a sporting disadvantage to England," Neville told ITV. "There's a sporting integrity issue here as well because I've never seen a League Two game moved, I've never seen a Sunday League game moved. FIFA are just willy nilly making it up and moving a game. It just feels a little bit sort of strange."
Challenges Ahead for England
Even without a change to kick-off time, England face a daunting task against Mexico. The match will be played in front of a hostile home crowd at the Estadio Azteca, while security has been stepped up around England's team hotel ahead of the fixture. Perhaps the biggest challenge, however, will be the altitude. Mexico City sits more than 2,000 metres above sea level, something Tuchel admits his squad have had no time to prepare for. "My understanding is that we cannot adapt to the altitude," the England boss said. "That is just a huge advantage that Mexico will have. It just takes too much time. We have only three days in between. This is physically just not possible to adapt to the altitude, which is quite high. We knew that before, so this is just something, it's just a disadvantage, with which we will have to deal."
