What caused the England vs Mexico World Cup kick-off chaos? Explained

For five and a half hours on Friday, no one seemed to know when England's World Cup last-16 match against co-hosts Mexico would actually kick off – leaving fans, pub landlords and even the Football Association scrambling to keep up. The confusion began when reports emerged that Fifa was considering moving the match forward by six hours, from its original 18:00 local time (01:00 BST) slot to midday on Sunday. By late Friday evening, after furious complaints from both the English and Mexican football associations, Fifa performed a U-turn and the kick-off time stayed as originally planned. The match at Mexico City's Azteca stadium will now start at 18:00 local time on Sunday, meaning viewers in the UK will need to stay up until the early hours of Monday morning to watch live on BBC One and iPlayer. How did such a high-profile match descend into chaos? It appears that Fifa was motivated by safety concerns. Sources briefed that thunderstorms with lightning and flooding were forecast for the original kick-off time in Mexico City. There were also reports that four people died during celebrations in the capital after Mexico's last-32 victory over Ecuador, raising additional security worries. The governing body saw a midday kick-off as a way to avoid the worst of the weather. But the late notice – less than 48 hours before the match – infuriated both the English FA and the Mexican federation. They raised concerns about fan travel, logistical upheaval for a fixture of this magnitude, and the impact on team preparations. Captain Harry Kane tried to calm nerves, telling fans: "I think everyone would love nothing more than to be celebrating as the sun's rising at 5, 6am." But many supporters were less forgiving. Dad-of-seven Owen Pickering, who had spent £20,000 on his World Cup trip, said: "Fifa is rubbish; it's awful. They have no thought about anyone travelling to the game." He had feared missing the match after changing his flights when the earlier time was proposed. Pub landlords also felt the whiplash. Adam Curtis, landlord of The Cock Inn in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, said: "What a joke – we make all these plans for a 1am kick off, then it's changed to 7pm so we get staffing organised for that. Then they change it back again. There's no thought at all given to the impact their decision making has." Over 500,000 fans were expected to watch the game in 6,000 pubs across England that were staying open specially. In total, 17 million pints were forecast to be sold in 30,000 pubs on Sunday, giving a boost to the drinks industry despite the confusion. The Mexican manager, Javier Aguirre, described the proposed change as a "kick in the stomach". Even some Texas-based England fans who had changed their flights to accommodate the earlier time had to rebook when Fifa reversed course. In the end, England's squad arrived at their Mexico City hotel with a heavy police presence and hundreds of officers in riot gear forming a "ring of steel" around the building. The match will go ahead as scheduled, but the episode has raised questions about Fifa's crisis management and communication during a World Cup. For English supporters, the final result – whatever it is – will be decided just as the sun begins to rise over the UK. Q: Why did Fifa want to change the kick-off time for England vs Mexico? A: Fifa was concerned about thunderstorms with lightning and flooding forecast for the original 18:00 local time slot at the Azteca stadium. The governing body also considered safety after four people died in celebrations following Mexico's previous match. It proposed moving the game six hours earlier to midday. Q: Why did the English and Mexican football associations oppose the change? A: Both associations were angry that the proposal came less than 48 hours before kick-off. They highlighted problems for fans who had already booked travel and accommodation, logistical challenges for staging the match at short notice, and disruption to the teams' preparations. Q: What happened after Fifa's U-turn? A: Fifa abandoned the plan and the match will kick off at the original time of 18:00 local time on Sunday (01:00 BST Monday). Pubs that had changed their opening hours switched back, and fans who had altered flights had to rebook. The match will be shown live on BBC One and iPlayer.