England's World Cup tie with Mexico may be moved earlier because of storms

England’s World Cup last-16 tie with Mexico was set to be moved to 19:00 BST on Sunday, after forecasts of thunderstorms, heavy rain and possible flooding around the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City forced FIFA to consider changing the kick-off.

The match had originally been scheduled for 01:00 BST on Monday, which is 18:00 local time on Sunday. The proposed change would bring it forward by six hours to 12:00 local time, a shift that would spare supporters in Britain from an early-hours kick-off and move the game away from the worst of the weather in Mexico City.

The Football Association was understood to have been surprised by the late notice and was seeking clarification while planning and security arrangements continued as normal on Friday. Under tournament safety rules, lightning within eight miles of the stadium triggers an automatic 30-minute delay to play, and FIFA’s regulations for the 2026 World Cup give the governing body the right to cancel, reschedule or relocate matches at its sole discretion.

The Azteca had already been affected by the same conditions. Mexico’s previous match against Ecuador at the stadium was delayed by thunderstorms, underlining the risk of further disruption if the England game had stayed on its original timetable. FIFA was also said to be drawing lessons from weather delays during last year’s Club World Cup as it weighed the change.

For England, the alteration would also have had a sporting angle. The Azteca sits at about 2,200 metres above sea level, so a earlier kick-off would reduce the time players spent adjusting to the altitude before one of the tournament’s most demanding knockout fixtures. But for fans already travelling to Mexico City, the move could also have brought fresh disruption even as it solved the immediate problem of storms.