England's World Cup last-16 match against Mexico faced confusion over kick-off times, leading to a FIFA U-turn after hours of uncertainty.
New Delhi, India Jul 4, 2026 ALN: Uncertainty, chaos, anger and U-turns.
England's World Cup last-16 tie against Mexico was plunged into limbo on Friday after a chaotic five-and-a-half-hour period that left everyone guessing.
Initially, FIFA was set to bring the match forward by six hours. This decision sparked anger from both the English and Mexican associations. Ultimately, the kick-off time remained unchanged.
England's crucial match against the co-hosts in Mexico City was suddenly shrouded in uncertainty.
The match at the Azteca Stadium will now start, as originally planned, at 18:00 local time on Sunday, which translates to 01:00 BST on Monday.
This means that viewers in England will need to either stay up late or set their alarms to watch live on BBC One and iPlayer.
The BBC attempted to unravel exactly what happened during one of the World Cup's more baffling episodes.
England fans were gearing up for a long overnight shift on Sunday to watch their last-16 tie against Mexico. Reports began to emerge from Mexican journalists indicating that FIFA was considering moving the kick-off forward by six hours.
The reason cited was the forecast of storms around the Azteca Stadium at the original kick-off time. FIFA expressed concern about potential lightning and flooding.
There were also questions about whether the celebrations in Mexico City, which resulted in four fatalities after the co-hosts' last-32 victory over Ecuador, were part of the concern.
Andres Vaca of radio station TUDN broke the story about the potential schedule change, leading to confusion and concern among fans.
England's squad was concluding an open training session in Kansas when the first ripples of uncertainty began to spread across social media.
The Association (FA) was unaware of any potential schedule change when BBC journalists began to inquire. Information was sought, and sources briefed about the change. An official announcement from FIFA was anticipated.
This would have marked an unprecedented move.
It was not until around 20:00 BST that the FA was informed that FIFA indeed intended to alter the kick-off time. The FA requested more time to investigate the plan and understand the reasoning behind it.
Behind the scenes, both national associations were engaged in discussions with FIFA. Both the English and Mexican governing bodies expressed frustration that the change was being proposed less than 48 hours before kick-off.
Concerns were raised regarding the impact on fan travel, the logistics of changing the staging of such a significant event at short notice, and the effect on the teams' preparations.
Meanwhile, England's players faced the media at their Kansas City training base. Morgan Rogers and Marcus Rashford appeared calm and insisted that any change would not affect them.
By approximately 21:30 BST, England boarded their chartered flight to Mexico City, still unaware of when the match would take place.
In Mexico City, the co-hosts' manager, Javier Aguirre, was conducting media duties, referring to the proposed changes as a "kick in the gut." Reports in Mexico suggested that the BBC was involved in lobbying against the proposed kick-off change, although a BBC spokesperson denied any involvement.
Extreme weather considerations have been a factor throughout the tournament. Last year's Club World Cup in the United States experienced six major weather delays across 63 matches.
Sources indicated that, given the forecast, FIFA wanted to minimize disruption to teams, fans, and media. However, just as it seemed that confirmation of the kick-off change was imminent, reports emerged from Mexican media indicating that FIFA was reconsidering its decision.
The anger from both the Mexico and England camps, combined with logistical challenges, appeared to be too significant to ignore.
Mexican journalist Gibran Araige posted on social media, suggesting that FIFA was backing down on the schedule change. Sources close to the England camp confirmed that discussions among all parties were ongoing in an effort to persuade FIFA not to amend the fixture.
Just before 00:00 BST, sources informed the BBC that the kick-off time would remain as originally planned.
Ultimately, the situation reverted to its original state. But why?
Sources confirmed that the final decision was influenced by various factors, including the potential for fans to miss the game.
The England Supporters' Travel Club had received an allocation of 3,000 tickets for the match, which sold out during the ballot stage in December.
The impact on supporters would largely depend on their travel plans to Mexico City.
With a kick-off scheduled for 18:00 local time, fans could arrive earlier on Sunday. Two flights from Atlanta were scheduled to land in Mexico City on the morning of the game, allowing supporters to make the original kick-off time.
Had the match been shifted to 12:00 local time, fans on those flights would have faced significant disruptions to their plans.
Other factors against the move to 19:00 BST included pushback from both national associations and the logistics of rescheduling the Brazil-Norway match, which was set for 21:00 BST on Sunday, to avoid fixture overlap.
For viewers in the UK, the decision to maintain the original 01:00 BST kick-off on Monday means a very late night.
From Ben Rich, the BBC's lead weather presenter
There was still a possibility of showers at the earlier 12:00 kick-off time, but the likelihood was lower than it would be later in the day. Any showers that do develop would be less likely to escalate into severe thunderstorms.
Temperatures are expected to peak at 23°C, several degrees higher than they would have been at 18:00, although humidity may be slightly lower earlier in the day.
Daily thunderstorms are typical in Mexico City during this time of year, but forecasts indicate that the risk on Sunday is particularly high. If storms develop, they could be severe.
Mexican government forecasters predict unstable atmospheric conditions, which could lead to significant thunderstorm activity, including frequent lightning and the risk of hail.
As the sun heats the air close to the ground, instability will allow the air to rise rapidly, forming large cumulonimbus clouds that produce thunderstorms.
With the match now set to kick off at 18:00 local time, the teams will have to prepare for potentially challenging weather conditions.
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