Former England defender Gary Neville has launched a scathing attack on FIFA after the world governing body moved England's World Cup last-16 match against Mexico forward by six hours due to adverse weather forecasts. Neville, who served on the England coaching staff during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, accused FIFA of acting 'willy nilly' and creating a 'sporting disadvantage' for the Three Lions.
Kick-off change sparks outrage
The match, originally scheduled for 1am UK time (7pm local), was provisionally moved to noon local time (6pm UK) just 48 hours before kick-off. England's coaching staff were left stunned by the decision, which Neville argued benefits co-hosts Mexico. 'I would find it disruptive, yeah. Conditions are huge for England at a tournament, we know that. We talk about heat a lot. Playing at 12 in Mexico vs playing at six in the evening is very, very different,' Neville said.
He added: 'So for the players, for our players, it's worse, let's be really clear. It's a sporting disadvantage to England. There is 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 sort of willy nilly making it up and moving a game.'
Fan safety questioned
Neville acknowledged the stated reason for the change—fan safety due to extreme heat—but questioned the timing. 'It just feels a bit strange. You can put fan safety at the heart of it, but this stadium has these conditions and would have a procedure to deal with that. To move a game two days out—I've never seen that at any level, ever.'
The match, a last-16 encounter against Javier Aguirre's Mexico side, is critical for England's World Cup campaign. The late change has disrupted preparations, with players and staff adjusting to a new schedule. FIFA has not commented further on the decision, but the move has sparked debate about tournament organisation and fairness.
