​England’s World Cup last-16 clash with Mexico in Mexico City was cast into confusion and volatility on Friday, as a chaotic five-and-a-half-hour saga left everyone guessing. Initially, Fifa appeared to be considering moving the kickoff forward by six hours, a plan allegedly prompted by storms forecast around the Azteca stadium. Anger followed from both the English and Mexican football associations, and then the proposed time change was reportedly dropped, with the original kickoff staying in place. The match at the Azteca is now set to commence at 18:00 local time on Sunday, 01:00 BST on Monday, meaning viewers in England will still need to stay up late or wake early to watch live on BBC One and iPlayer.
BBC Sport set out to unpack one of the World Cup’s most perplexing episodes. The drama began at 18:30 BST as fans anticipated a long overnight watch for the last-16 clash. Reports from Mexican journalists suggested Fifa was weighing a six-hour shift in kick-off time, citing forecasts of storms around the stadium and concerns about lightning and potential flooding. It wasn’t clear whether the celebrations in Mexico City after the co-hosts’ last-32 win over Ecuador—where four people were killed—were part of the concern. Andres Vaca of radio station TUDN broke the story, creating widespread bewilderment beyond the fans. England’s squad was finishing an open training session in Kansas when the initial chatter began to spread on social media, and the Football Association knew little about any schedule change as BBC Sport pressed for details. Official announcements from Fifa appeared imminent, which would have marked an unprecedented move.
By around 20:00 BST, the FA learned that Fifa planned to alter the kickoff time. They requested more time to review the plan and its rationale. But behind the scenes, both the English and Mexican governing bodies were in intense discussions with Fifa, expressing anger that a change was being proposed less than 48 hours before kick-off. The concerns centred on travel arrangements for fans, the logistics of rescheduling such a major event on short notice, and the potential impact on both teams’ preparations. Meanwhile, England’s players faced the media at their Kansas City training base, with Morgan Rogers and Marcus Rashford delivering composed responses as they addressed the situation.