Kick-off Time Brought Forward by Six Hours
FIFA has moved the kick-off time for England's World Cup last-16 match against Mexico forward by six hours. The game, scheduled for Sunday at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, will now start at noon local time (7pm BST) instead of the original 6pm local time (1am Monday BST).
Weather Forecasts Prompt Change
The decision comes amid forecasts of thunderstorms and heavy rain expected to hit the Mexican capital on Sunday evening. FIFA has not provided an official explanation, but tournament regulations allow the organisation to "cancel, reschedule or relocate" matches at its sole discretion.
According to SunSport, the Football Association was informed on Friday that moving the game was a possibility. Under tournament safety rules, any lightning strike detected within eight miles of the stadium automatically triggers a 30-minute delay, which could have pushed the final whistle well past 4am Monday UK time.
